


La Princesa de la Isla

by orphan_account



Category: Missing Link (2019), Other tags to be added - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Inspired by Barbie as the Island Princess, was gonna have elements from barbie as princess and the pauper but now that has been retconned, yep you read that correctly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-01-31 06:57:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21442093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Shipwrecked as a child, Adelina grows up on the island under the watchful eyes of her loving friends…who happen to be animals. The arrival of a man named Lionel leads Adelina and her friends to explore civilization and ultimately uncover a sinister plot.
Relationships: Adelina Fortnight/Lionel Frost
Comments: 20
Kudos: 6





	1. prologue - washed ashore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on two other fics, I know, I know. This is a side thing, for fun since I loved "Island Princess" as a young child so I decided why not write a fic based on it? Not gonna be updated too much since I'll be trying to finish up the other fics but still, a fun side project is a fun project. Still, hope y'all like it.

It was a fine, peaceful morning on an island far into the southern seas. The sea's waves swayed onto the gold sand while the breeze softly blew at the palm trees, swaying the leaves back and forth. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky that could cover up the bright sun that shone down upon the ocean, making it sparkle. The island was mostly covered in a big green jungle with many colorful flowers and delectable tropical fruits. Coming out from the green forest and onto the beach was a black cat with blue eyes and a yellow parakeet with purple eyes. The cat could still vaguely hear the thunder from last night’s storm.

“What a night,” Cat remarked. “What a storm.”

“You could say that again!” the parakeet, Paca, agreed. “I was nearly blown out of the tree!”

Last night, there had been a huge storm. It was such a violent, strong one that both thought they wouldn't have made it had they not found a shelter. 

The cat and bird walked on the sand, inspecting the beach for whatever lost items that might have been washed away by the harsh waves of the storm. While trying to detect for lost items, they noticed a golden mirror sticking up in the sand.

Cat looked at the mirror, poking it with his paw. “Strange… what can you make of this thing?” he asked his feathered friend.

Paca looked into the glass of the mirror and saw a reflection of herself. “Ooh, muy bonita!” 

“A pretty thing,” Cat remarked, looking at the mirror.

Paca scoffed. “I was talking about _ me_.” She spread her wings out. “Paca, princesa de los periquitos!”

Cat rolled his eyes. “Of course, Princesa Paca,” he spoke sarcastically, faking a bow.

Paca looked forward, seeing that there were more things stranded out there, including a white chest. “Oh, it keeps getting better and better!” She walked over to the white chest and opened it, revealing an assortment of regal gowns and jewelry. “Aye! ¡Este es el mejor dia de mi vida!” She dipped her head into the trunk, searching around. 

Cat decided to leave his feathered friend to her little game of dressup and looked at what was behind the chest. There was a log and then… something else caught his eye: a flag draped over something. "Paca," he said, running over to the flag and the thing it was draped over.

“Hold on a second, Cat,” said Paca, not looking up from the chest.

“Paca, now!”

Paca finally lifted her head. “Okay, okay, I’m coming!” she exclaimed. “Ay, ay, ay, no need to be pushy… what could be so important, anyway, that I—_ oh_.”

Cat removed the flag, uncovering the object beneath it. It was a human child, no older than six. A young girl with ebony hair, wearing a little green dress with white underneath and a magenta ribbon tying her hair up into pigtails laid unconscious in the sand. Her bare feet were exposed, the waves splashing on them every second and… she was breathing. 

“She’s alive,” Cat sighed in relief.

“Good,” huffed Paca, pecking the girl’s arm in distrust. “That means that the niña can swim back to her home when she wakes up.”

The little girl groaned. Cat’s eyes narrowed at Paca. “She’s just a child. We have to help her,” he said persistently. 

Paca sighed. “We’re going to regret this, aren’t we? And if we do, then remember that it was _ your _idea.” 

The little girl stirred up, slowly opening her green eyes. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and looked down at the ground, seeing she was on a beach. _ How did I get here? _ she wondered. Where was here? Was this her home? She tried to remember what had happened, but all that was in her memory was a storm. 

She looked around the beach and saw that near her was a yellow bird. Its feathers were so lovely. Then, behind the bird came a black cat. She stood up.

The parakeet tried to straighten up, make herself look taller than the girl. “I’m Princesa—”

“Paca, what this girl needs is some food, not a royal introduction,” the cat cut the bird off. He turned to the girl. “I am Cat and this is my friend, Paca. Do you have a name?”

Paca seemed offended. “Thought you said she needed food, not an introduction.”

The girl felt her stomach growl, knowing the bird was right. “I don’t remember my name,” she answered the first question.

“I see,” the cat said, blue eyes glistening. “Is this chest yours?” He gestured to the trunk.

She shrugged. "I guess it is?" She walked over to it and examined it, then opened it and looked at the gowns and jewelry inside. "I think it's mine," she said, going through all of the stuff. She then closed it and looked at the name written on it. The second half seemed cut off, leaving only the first half. "Ade," she whispered to herself.

"What's that?" Cat asked, suddenly jumping on top of the trunk. He looked down at the name on it. "Ade," he repeated. "It looks like that's your name."

Ade nodded. Lifting up the trunk, she realized it wasn’t too heavy. She carried it to the jungle in front of her, with Paca and Cat following. Now, where was the food? 

As if answering her question, Cat brought her a mango. It was the best tasting mango ever. There was juice running down the sides of her cheeks as she chewed on it.

"So where are you from, niña?" Paca asked the girl.

Ade swallowed her bite and thought for a while. "¿No soy de aquí? This place feels like a home." The two animals looked at her expectantly. "If I'm not from here, then no lo sé. All I remember is the storm."

"I'll bet it's the same storm we had last night that you remember," Cat spoke up. "Maybe it affected your memory." 

Ade was quiet. If she wasn't from the island, then what was the place where she came from? Did the people from that land know she was here? 

Pushing the thought away, she looked at Cat and Paca. "So, what are we going to do today?" she asked, putting her fruit down.

The bird and cat looked at each other. Then, Paca spoke up, "We're going to take you on a tour of the island, chica." 

And they did. The island was so beautiful. Ade found a red cloth and managed to make a little suit out of it along with a purple-ish blue cloth as pants. Then, she dipped into the small pool with a waterfall leading to it. She met some of the other animals on the island and learned their names. She loved the island.

At night, Cat and Paca took her back to the tree where she ate the mango. She laid down on a big branch that served as a cradle of sorts, smiling as she closed her eyes. 

In her dream, Ade heard a voice singing — a voice that sounded like it belonged to this woman.

_ Sun goes down, _

_ And we are here together. _

_ Fireflies glow like a thousand charms. _

_ Stay with me, _

_ And you can dream forever _

_ Right here in my arms… _

_ It’s magic, _

_ When you are here beside me. _

_ Close your eyes, _

_ And let me hold you tight. _

_ Everything that I could ever need is _

_ Right here in my arms… _

_ Tonight. _

Suddenly, she began to forget the words as if the voice was dying out.

_ La, la, la... la, la, la... _

_ Stars begin to climb. _

_ La, la, la _

_ La, la, la. _

_ La, la, la, la, la, _

_ La, la, la, la, la… _

“Ade?”

“Ade!”

Cat and Paca woke her up. She opened her eyes, touching her cheeks and finding that they were wet. She had been crying.

"Are you alright?" asked Cat.

Ade nodded. They would probably laugh if she told them she was crying over a song by a voice she could hardly remember. 

"Hmmph," huffed Paca. "Are you sure, chica?"

“Y-yeah…”

Paca stared, but then flew back to her branch.

Cat stayed, though. "Don't pay mind to her... she's got her own way of showing emotions. If you want to talk, then I am the one to call." 

Ade considered it, but decided not to tell him. Instead, she sang him the song. It calmed her down slightly. Then, she closed her eyes and hoped the person singing the song would appear. The next morning came, and the girl was disappointed.


	2. sixteen years later - "here on my island"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am using the songs from the film (where you can find the original scenes on youtube along with the full movie for visuals). Yes, this will be a musical. No, I don't have any regrets.

Ade was twenty-two years old today, her pigtails replaced by her long hair freely flowing, with a rose in it while she wore the same shirt and pants (which she always made sure was clean). It was sixteen years ago that she was found by Cat and Paca. Ever since then, she had grown up on the island, never knowing who her real family was or where she had come from. All she ever knew was the island, nothing before it.

The young woman ran along the beach. "Come on, Maynard!" she called, giggling as she raced down the beach. 

_“Slow down, Ade!” _a winged creature called as he flew down to catch up with her. He was a Leeds devil with grey fur, black horns and a goatee, large wings and a long tail with black hair on the tip. His forelegs had human-like ‘hands’ while his forelegs had black hooves. His mouth had two sharp teeth sticking out and he had red-spiderlike eyes. A scar came down across from the side of his neck.

Life on the island was wonderful. On the hottest of days, they could dip themselves in the cool water. The sand tickled between their toes. There were delicious fruits everywhere. Comfort could be found even in the highest of places. There were so many places to play even, but the most important thing of all was that they all had each other.

Since she had come to the island at the age of six, Ade picked up on the animals’ language quickly, understanding them fairly well enough to communicate back. By now, she was fluent enough to understand each and every one of them.

As for Maynard, he had come to the island ten years ago, when Ade was twelve. He had escaped a ship from New Jersey and flown to the island, where he was welcomed immediately by the girl. Despite how big and intimidating he seemed, he turned out to be the nicest animal one could ever meet. It hadn’t taken long for him and Ade to form a close familial bond, one stronger than her bonds with the other animals to the point where he considered her his filly and she considered him her Ooh-Whoo — a pinie term for father.

Ade began skipping across the shore, listening in to the regular island noises. If one paid attention, they could hear these sounds everyday. Suddenly inspired by the island making music for her, she began to sing. 

_ Here on my island, _

_ The sea says hello. _

_ Dolphins are waving wherever I go. _

The dolphins in question were swimming around, jumping out of the water and letting out their greeting cries as the woman skipped by. 

_ There’s a song in the breeze, _

_ And a home full of trees! _

_Friends I can talk with whenever I please._

When she came to their little tree home, she climbed up and sat in a branch while her friends surrounded her. She pat Cat's head and the black feline smiled up at her. 

Her friends started to get a grip of the singing as they came to a playground. Paca started the next verse.

_Here on my island,_

_The playgrounds are great._

Then Cat joined in as he slid down into a pond.

_Slide every slide!_

_ “And you don’t have to wait!” _Maynard finished. 

Ade started up again, with Maynard following after as they all bounced on a trampoline.

_ There’s so much to be seen, _

_ From a new trampoline! _

Using a wooden spear, the woman managed to harpoon some fruit off a tree. Soon, they were all singing together as the fruits fell to the ground. 

_Finding adventure's our daily routine!_

Cat caught the bananas in paws.

_ Birds and bananas _

Paca laid back on a blanket made out of straw, underneath an umbrella made out of both wood and straw, soaking her feathers underneath the sun.

_ And comfy cabanas _

Ade placed some bright pink amaryllis flowers into a vase made out of a hollow watermelon, decorated with sea shells.

_ And shell-covered vases to fill _

Cat held out an empty coconut.

_ Coconut glasses _

Maynard used another empty coconut to pour in some molasses into the feline’s coconut.

_ And mint with molasses _

Paca placed three slices on pineapple onto a grill.

_ And pineapple patties to grill! _

Ade smiled as she recalled the first real meal she’d had on the island. Then, she went off skipping and twirling across the treetops in the jungle.

_ Here on my island, _

_ There's nothing but fun! _

Cat swung across a vine.

_ Vines you can swing from! _

Paca basked in the rays of sunlight that poured through the leaves.

_ A nap in the sun _

While he normally would find the activity of making mudpies to be childish, Maynard made an exception when it came to doing it with his filly.

_ There are mudpies to make _

Perched on a tree branch with mangoes, Cat began to shake it, causing the fruit to fall into Ade’s hands.

_ And branches to shake _

Poking their heads out of a bush, the four looked around and saw flowers and leaves everywhere.

_ Treasures await any road that you take. _

Ade started to climb up a hill.

_ I’ll take the high path _

Cat started to walk down.

_ And I’ll take the low path _

Both the woman and feline looked above at their winged friends in the sky. Paca seemed to take the lead, while Maynard flew behind with an unamused look on his face. He had always found her to be a bit of a nuisance, and they never really saw eye to eye but they pushed their differences aside for now, for the song.

_ And we’ll take the path through the sky! _

Ade reached a river with some stones laid out.

_ I’ll jump the river! _

Cat reached a mountain.

_ And I’ll climb the mountain! _

Maynard stood still, near the berry pie. He took a small piece from it.

_ And I’ll stay here, guarding the pie. _

They all met back up, reaching the waterfall. Ade remembered the first time she had came to it, too… wait, why was she thinking about the past? She was happy, yet she wondered again about the people who might have been missing her as Paca and Cat dove into the water. Trying to push the thought out of her mind, she dove right in after, making a perfect dive.

Ade, Paca and Cat all looked up at Maynard, beckoning for the pinie to jump in. He did so, creating a large splash.

_ Here on our island, _

_ Our days are a dream _

_ Hanging together, _

_ We work as a team _

_ And the magic extends, _

_ Through our family of friends _

_ Here on our island, _

_ The fun never ends! _

"Last one in is a rotten papaya!" yelled Paca.

Everyone ran into the water laughing, but Ade pondered their last lines. Family of friends... what if she actually had a family somewhere, a family responsible for bringing her into the world?

She was brought back to reality as Maynard yelled, _“You the rotten papaya, Paca!” _She smiled. The bird always was. 

(Maynard's speaking was a bit odd, the woman knew. He didn't speak in the same kind of way she, Cat or Paca did. His wording was a little more similar to someone learning a new language... but Maynard did know of the animals' language, because he too spoke it, just in a different way. It was a part of what made him unique, made him stand out.

Kind of like how her whole look and species made Ade stand out from everyone, even her Ooh-Whoo...)

She thought Cat caught a glimpse of her wondering about her family, but he didn't seem to ask as she cried out, "Let's play a game of Marco Polo!"

Everyone looked excited to play the next game, as always. Smiling, Ade closed her eyes and began swimming around while the three animals tried swimming away from her. "Marco!"

"Polo," they each responded, going their own directions.

"Marco?"

"Polo!"

"Mar-" she stopped, a memory coming back, a flashback she never really looked forward to getting.

There was a storm. She was a small six year-old girl, squinting her eyes to see something ahead, like a small piece of land. Her grip was on a box as she tried to stay above water, a little piece of cloth wrapped around her waist. Someone was calling her, she guessed, but she couldn't hear any name...

_ “Polo.” _

She jumped when something nudged her hand.

She opened her eyes to see Maynard looking at her, worried.

_“You okay, Ade?” _he asked her. He wanted her to be, but at the same time he was curious.

“Why do I only remember the storm that happened the night before I washed up on the island?” 

Maynard heard questions like this and others similar being asked by her during all the years he was on the island, but it still hurt each and every time he heard her ask them. He hated when his filly was upset.

(He could still remember the first time she had brought up this type of question, when she was twelve. She had tried climbing a tree and jumping off it, only to fall to the ground.

“OW!” The girl gripped her knee, wincing as she rubbed it. 

_ “What wrong, Ade?!” _The pinie quickly came to his filly’s side, inspecting her for any bruises.

“I scraped myself trying to fly!” she replied, hissing as she showed him her wound.

_ “Stay still. I go get leaves to wrap up wound.” _ Quickly, he plucked large leaves from palm trees and came back, wrapping them around the girl’s knee. _ “Ade, you can’t fly like I can. You have no wings.” _

“I wish I did, though! Then I could be like you,” she said, frowning as she looked at the ground. “Flying high above, soaring through the clouds, able to go anywhere I please… then I wouldn’t have to climb on your back all the time.” 

_ “Ade, you can always ride on my back.” _

“Really? I thought you’d be annoyed if I did.”

He nuzzled her side. _ “I could never be annoyed with you. You my filly.” _

She turned away, crossing her arms. “A filly with faulty memory and barely any memory of her past...” she sighed. “Why can't I remember anything prior other than a storm and a lullaby?”

_“A lullaby is hint.”_

“Yeah, a vague one.” She scrubbed her face, trying to wipe away any tears that might have been there. “I just wish I knew what happened, how I really got here. There has to be more than the storm, but what?”)

_ “I no know… sometimes, remembering is hard.” _

Ade closed her eyes and smiled. She was about to say something until two animals could be heard. 

“Alright, it's my turn now!”

“No, I believe it’s _ my _turn to play Marco, Paca.”

“What? No, it’s _ mine_!”

The cat and bird started to bicker. Ade giggled and went over to the two. "Hey you two, quit fighting! We're supposed to be having fun!"

“Sorry, Ade,” both the bird and feline apologized.

“Now, let’s get back to the beach and play fútbol!”

As the three went over to the shore, Maynard watched them, especially Ade. The poor woman always wanted to remember her past, but she could only remember a small amount. The Leeds devil hoped that one day, she would be able to get past this sorrow of hers and move on. 

She had him, Cat and Paca as her family. That was all she needed and he would make sure none of that changed, and that there would always be a smile on her face.

It was his duty as her Ooh-Whoo, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maynard is not my OC. He belongs to cHuntress_of_cri4tids236c. Shoutout to her for the suggestion of him taking the role of 'Tika the Elephant' from the original film this AU is based on, by the way. She's been a huge help and a real good friend and you should check out her fic, which will tell the true story of Maynard along with her other amazing OCs. A wonderful read that I highly recommend.


	3. night time troubles - "right here in my arms"

Nighttime came and everyone was asleep. Like every other day, they had exhausted themselves, so they all slept in the tree. Ade slept on her own platform decorated with flowers and a single cloth, while Cat and Paca slept on their own branches. Maynard slept on his own platform as well, decorated by Ade to fit as his own little home.

But the pinie wasn’t having any fun tonight.

_ “Oh, no… no!” _ he yelled frantically in his sleep, stomping his foot against the trunk of the tree. _ “No! _ No!_” _

“Huh?” Cat murmured, waking up to the trunk banging. He jumped out of the tree.

Paca woke up. “What the- _ hey_!” she didn’t finish her sentence as she was knocked out of the tree. She yelped as she fell to the ground.

Ade awoke to what sounded like drumming, then saw Paca fall in front of her. The tree was shaking and Cat was already on the ground, which meant that… _ Maynard_.

She climbed down the tree as fast as she could. She knew how bad Maynard's nightmares could get, how the memories of what happened before he came to the island plagued him, especially the memories of his years of adolescence. The pinie was going to need all the support possible, and Paca wasn't likely to be of best emotional support.

When she got to the bottom with the others and went over to the pinie, he was still yelling “no” in his sleep. 

“_Tch. _ Someone doesn’t care about my beauty sleep,” Paca said crankily. Then, she flew away with Ade and Cat staring at her. 

Ade sighed. That was just how Paca was like, sometimes. The woman crept up to Maynard and put a hand on him. She felt bad for him. She knew what it was like to have dreams plague her, making her feel sorrowful and upset, and to then have someone say “you interrupted my beauty sleep.”

“Maynard,” she whispered. “Maynard!”

He woke, startled. _ “Did I wake you?” _ he asked, looking ashamed.

She smiled sympathetically. “It’s okay,” she tried to reassure him.

But of course, Paca had to barge in and yell, “Easy for you to say! You don’t have to rearrange hundreds of feathers!”

Cat and Ade glared at her. “Can you please stay quiet?” the black feline hissed. “He’s clearly not in a good mood.”

Maynard looked upset. Ade felt bad for her Ooh-Whoo. Paca was a good friend, but when it came to Maynard, they never saw eye to eye so sometimes, she would say the wrong things.

_ “I just stay up for a while,” _ he said with a sigh, beginning to walk off. _ “Like all night. No worry about me. You get some sleep, Ade.” _

“Me too,” she said. She wasn’t going to let him stay up alone. What kind of filly would she be then?

He looked happy. _ “Really?” _

She smiled at him. She liked seeing her Ooh-Whoo happy. He had been the last one to join the group, coming to the island after escaping a harsh past of no-hooves hunting him down and seeing him as a threat, with the only no-hoof that didn’t want to hurt him suffering a tragic fate when he was a mere foal. He tried his hardest to make her happy as her Ooh-Whoo, so she would do her best to make him happy as his filly.

“We’ll stay up together,” she stated. She liked staying up late, anyhow. It was always nice to look at the stars and wonder who else could be looking at them from far away.

They decided to head to a high mountain. It was a good place for sitting and gazing up at the stars.

Maynard felt bad for keeping Ade up with him. She was always trying to make everyone feel happy, especially with him since he came to the island and met her. His past had been a rather tragic one, with his adoptive no-hoof mother dying during childbirth. She had been the first no-hoof to understand him, treat him kindly like he was her own son and show him such love and care… and yet, she and her baby had died during birth, leaving him alone in the world until he met Ade, the second no-hoof to show him kindness. However, she didn’t know this. She didn’t know she was a no-hoof.

She hadn’t the faintest clue.

He didn’t want to dwell on the thoughts any longer, though, knowing they would only bring pain so he looked up at the stars. _ “Do you see them?” _

Ade knew exactly what he was talking about. “Si.” She nodded. They were her favorite things to gaze up at, for they held a special meaning to her. She pointed to a bright star all the way on the left. “That’s your _ estrella._” Pointing to the one on the right of it, she said, “And Cat’s.” Moving her finger to the right, she finished, “And mine and Paca’s.” At the mention of Paca, she pointed to two bright stars.

_ “Why she have two?” _asked Maynard, some of his eyes narrowed while others were slightly curious.

Ade rolled her eyes, though she still smiled. “She is royalty.”

The pinie accepted that. _ “We all together.” _ That was what he was worried about, that they wouldn’t always be together. He worried that something may tear them apart. Before Ade could ask him about it, he asked her, _ “Could you sing lullaby again?” _

The lullaby was the song she heard in her dreams. She brought it up to Maynard around his sixth month of being on the island as they had been talking about the past and Mother Leeds, how she’d had a sweet voice… to which she brought up the voice she heard in her dream, and the lullaby. Curious, he asked her to sing and she did. Since then, it became his favorite since it reminded him of the lullabies Mother Leeds used to sing to him. She loved singing for him. She hoped that by singing it more, she would find out where she had learned it. So far, that wasn’t the case.

“Of course,” she replied. She cleared her throat and started to sing.

_ Sun goes down, _

_ And we are here together. _

_ Fireflies glow like a thousand charms. _

The fireflies surrounding them lit up just as she sang that line, shining like little stars.

_ Stay with me, and you can dream forever _

_ Right here in my arms… _

She hugged his neck, resting her head on it. 

_ “Who the lady you hear it from?” _Maynard asked, his voice groggy and his eyes dropping as he grew tired.

“No lo sé,” she replied with a small shrug. “She’s just… the lady.” 

They started walking around the trees, fireflies lighting their path. 

_ It’s magic when you are here beside me, _

_ Close your eyes and let me hold you tight _

_ Everything that I could ever need is _

_ Right here in my arms… _

_ Tonight. _

Maynard laid down somewhere below a tree, while Ade sat next to him. _ “Sing other part too.” _

“Okay,” she relented, knowing it was both their favorite part of the song. If only she knew the other lyrics… “But you know I don’t remember all the words.”

_ La, la, la, _

_ La, la, la, _

_ Stars begin to climb… _

She looked up at the stars, trying to think of where the lady could possibly be. 

_ La, la, la, _

_ La, la, la, _

_ La, la, la, la, la, _

_ La, la, la, la, la… _

When Ade was finished singing, she heard snoring. She looked over at Maynard and saw him sleeping. She laughed a little to herself, having known he would last the night. She patted his head, then thought about her birth family. She wondered if they had washed up on a different island somewhere, of the reunion they might have sometime if that was the case.

Then, she started thinking of what Maynard was worrying about. Something splitting them up was impossible… surely, _ if _she ever found her birth family again, they wouldn’t try splitting them up, right?

It was too much to think about for that day. “Buenas noches, Ooh-Whoo,” she whispered, then fell asleep too.


	4. the strangers - "a brand new shore"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, folks! Sorry for the late posting but uh, happy new year! Hope you all had a fantastic time.

The next day came, and it was bright and the dolphins were enjoying the new day ahead. There was only one small difference, though — a ship was sailing on the sea. Aboard the ship were many crew men and even some of their animals, but the ones who stood out the most was a twenty-five year-old man dressed in a blue houndstooth suit and a sasquatch in a golden suit that was a little too small for him. The man in blue was steering the ship, looking through a telescope to see what could be waiting for him ahead while his friend was not too far from him. 

_Another day, another adventure, _he thought to himself. He had been on a trip for weeks now. Suddenly, through the telescope, he spotted an island not too far from where the ship was. "Land ho!" he yelled. "Susan! Three points off the starboard bow!" 

The sasquatch, Susan, ran up beside the man eagerly. He had been his trusty companion ever since he found him in the Pacific Northwest and brought him back to his home, an English kingdom far away. "Really, we're reaching land?! Oh boy, Lionel, this is so exciting!" he gushed. 

"I know," Lionel sighed happily. He loved doing all these explorations. It always brought this rush of adrenaline for him. All of the riches and gold back at home couldn't compare to going out and searching for mythical creatures, making new discoveries in new places. 

Right now, his latest exploration was a search for the Leeds devil, more commonly known as the Jersey devil. Years ago, he had heard of a legend involving the creature and a human woman, how the woman's death was somehow tied in with the beast and how it had fled New Jersey on a thunderous night only to be caught years later. However, after it had been captured, it soon escaped and fled from the ship where it had been held captive, disappearing to god knows where. Lionel was certain that the Leeds devil had to have fled to an island, and that the island ahead was the one it found refuge in. 

The prince grinned eagerly. Soon, he would be bringing home the Leeds devil, bring the real proof of its existence and show it off to the court and his mother. He would prove to them all that the creature was real and that he had found it, and hopefully then would they see that he wasn't being reckless. Hopefully then, they would take him seriously.

Maybe then, he would not have to give journeying up for becoming king and having to settle down, thus 'growing up' in his mother's eyes. 

* * *

Ade was running down the path to the clearing, racing to catch up with her friends. They had been playing a game of tag, and she had been tagged it by Maynard so she was trying to catch up. Seeing a little branch had been torn down, she knew the pinie had been through here, she just knew it.

When she got to the clearing, she was caught off guard. All three of her friends were just standing there. It had to be some kind of trick. They wouldn't make it _this_ easy.

She quietly snuck up behind them. Her target was Paca, who was perched on Maynard's head. It was to get back at her for how she had acted last night.

"Gotcha!" Ade yelled. "You're it!" She grinned, feeling like she had a victory, but the parakeet didn't seem to mind. Honestly, the woman didn't know if she even noticed her at all. "What are you all...?" her sentence trailed off as she looked ahead and saw it. 

Something big in the water was coming towards the island, but what was it? She walked up beside her friends, trying to get a better look. 

"I've never seen a floating island before," Paca remarked.

Was that what it was? A floating island? Adelina studied it. She supposed it did sort of resemble an island, though it also looked similar to something she had seen in her dreams long ago...

Maynard was worried, a grave look on his face as he saw the ship coming near. He had been on one before and experienced the horrors that came with it. Ships brought no hooves and no hooves brought pain, misery, suffering and greed with them as they took innocent beings to sell off to foreign lands for gold. The last time he had been on a ship, they intended to send him off to Russia. Luckily, he had escaped and came to the island, but now...now, it appeared as though no hooves were looking to capture him again.

But this time, he wouldn't let himself be captured, not when he had his filly to look after.

* * *

Lionel held onto one of the ropes on the ship as he leaned out, looking out to the island before him. What a beauty it was.

_Nothing beats a brand new shore,_

_Streaming into view. _

He jumped back onto deck.

_After weeks upon the waves,_

_The thrill of somewhere new_

It didn't take long for them to finally reach land. As the ship docked near, Lionel and Susan prepared to jump down. 

_All the riches of the world can't compare to these!_

Lionel jumped down onto the sand and already knelt down, scooping up a small pile in his hands before leaping to his feet and taking in the island breeze. Susan simply followed him. 

_Golden sand and silver clouds_

_The fragrant island breeze_

He made it to the forest, looking around. His sasquatch friend was still tagging along, although slightly cautious. 

"Um, Lionel, maybe we should turn back," Susan tried to tell Lionel, but he wouldn't listen to him. 

_What will I discover next? It's all a mystery._

_Different everyday_

Lionel was going deeper into the forest, examining every single thing. He was amazed by all the beautiful flowers and all the little critters running about, that he failed to notice a group of four hiding in the bushes.

_There's so much to do and learn_

_And touch and hear and see,_

_Just a step away_

Cat, Paca, Maynard and Ade were spying on the two mysterious folks. While Ade was looking curiously at the two, especially the man with black hair in blue as she found herself entranced by him and his ocean blue eyes, her friends seemed worried and fearful. They started singing their own anxious song.

_It have no trunk,_

_It has no tail._

_It not a fish,_

_It's not a whale. _

_It has no feathers, I can see._

Ade joined in, having realized something.

_I have to say, it looks like...me!_

She was so happy to see that there was another creature like her. Finally, she could get answers. 

Her friends took over again soon, now riddled with more panic.

_ “It must be bad,” _Maynard said, distrustful of the no hoof. He trusted Ade because he had known her as a filly and she had no bad bone in her body, but this no hoof? He knew he was looking for him, wanting to capture him like his previous captors had. 

“You're right. It can’t be good,” Cat agreed with the pinie. He didn’t trust the human either. He had found Ade when she was little so he could easily trust her, but this grown human was a whole different story.

_ “You three run and hide!” _Maynard ordered his friends, preparing himself to attack the no hoof. 

“I think we should!” Paca squawked fearfully. 

Noticing his filly was staring at the no hoof, Maynard told her, _ “Please Ade, close your eyes, it go away.” _

The woman turned to the pinie. “But this doesn’t happen every day,” she pointed out. She looked back at the strangers, smiling at the man in blue.

_ Feeling the excitement grow, _

_ Every single stride! _

Lionel marched excitedly throughout the jungle, taking notes every few seconds. It was all so remarkable, unlike the other lands he had explored before. He took out his telescope, looking up at the sky.

_ Sun above and earth below—_

“WHOA!” Lionel cried out as Susan bumped into him from behind, sending them both sliding down a hill. Both screamed as they slid down the bumpy ride.

Ade gasped as she saw the strangers tumbled down the slide, which would lead them down some friends who didn’t like visitors.

* * *

Lionel and Susan both landed in a swamp area with a loud bang. The man got up, dusting himself off and chuckling. “The fast way to see the island.”

Susan got up and dusted himself off as well. “Oh, deep shadows,” he observed the area. 

“And overhanging foliage,” Lionel noticed, looking around. “This is an ideal habitat for…” Ahead, he saw what was waiting for them. “Crocodiles!”

“How’d you know?” Susan asked. He looked ahead and saw the crocodiles. “Oh god, oh no…”

They began backing away as the large reptiles began advancing towards them. 

“No sudden movements, Susan,” Lionel whispered to his friend.

“W-wouldn’t dream of it,” Susan gulped. 

The crocodiles growled as they came closer and closer with each second. One tried lunging forward and Lionel quickly grabbed a stick, placing it between its jaws in an attempt to hinder it. The reptile simply closed its mouth and snapped the stick in half, continuing to hiss afterwards. 

“Point for you,” Lionel murmured, feeling like a fool. He tried looking to find a way to get away from the crocodiles, but there was no way out. He and Susan were surrounded. 

“Are — are we going to die?” asked the sasquatch fearfully.

Before Lionel could reply, a young woman swung from a vine down onto a nearby ledge. “Oso!” she yelled at the crocodiles. “Toro, Blanca! That’s enough!”

The crocodiles seemed to groan, as if they were small rowdy children being scolded by their mother. One tried to bite Lionel’s leg from behind, but was stopped by the woman too.

“Bizar, don’t even think about it!” she yelled scoldingly. Like the other crocodiles, Bizar groaned too. 

Both Lionel and Susan turned around to see it, surprised. “Is she talking to the crocodiles?” Lionel asked his friend, who only shrugged with not a single clue. The prince couldn’t believe his own ears, his own eyes as to what he was witnessing and hearing. Could it be possible…?

“No, ni siquiera un pedacito,” the woman laughed, shaking her head. “Now, swim along. Los cuatro, vayan a nadar.” The crocodiles began to retreat, swimming back to wherever they came from. “Gracias!” she called out to them as they left. She sighed, then turned to the strangers. “Lo siento por eso. We aren’t used to visitors. Who are you?” 

Both the sasquatch and prince turned to the woman, still trying to process everything that had just happened. Lionel stared at the woman, who seemed to be only three years younger than him. Her eyes were emerald green, her hair black as ink, skin dark as cinnamon, voice both sweet yet strong as the waves, dressed in a baggy red shirt and baggy purple pants ― a rare beauty he had never expected to encounter. 

“Who am I?” he parroted her question. He still couldn’t believe that this woman was real, that a beauty with an ability to speak with animals existed and was standing before him right now. “I should be the one asking… who are _ you_?” 

The woman opened her mouth to answer, only for a growl to cut her off. “Oh no,” she whispered, eyes wide as she looked behind her.

“What’s wro―” Lionel stopped as a large creature then suddenly landed on a platform right behind the woman. It wasn’t just any creature, though… it was _ the Leeds devil_.

The beast looked down at the prince, snarling and baring its teeth in disdain. The young man didn’t pay much mind to this though, as he was instantly fascinated. “I can’t believe it… after all this time, the Leeds devil has been found!” he cried out. “This has to be the discovery of a lifetime ― no, of the century! Wait, no, no, in _ history_!” He walked off the piece of land he was on, trying to get closer. “At last, I have found―”

The Leeds devil cut him off by lunging past the woman, towards him with a loud roar. Its wings were spread out, its fangs exposed, all of its crimson spider-like eyes filled with fury. 

Lionel wiped the spit off his face. “Right, well…suppose that’s the norm with these kinds of creatures,” he muttered.

But before he could try inspecting it, the beast picked him up by the scruff of his shirt and held him in his jaws. 

“AAAHH! Put me down, please!” 

The beast growled and seemed to reel back, getting ready to throw, but then the woman yelled out: “Maynard, _ BASTA_!” 

It stopped, turning to her and letting out a low growl in protest. She gave him a stern look and said, “Let him go _ right now _, or else I won’t speak to you for a whole month.”

The beast stiffened, reluctantly letting go of the prince and dropping him. The woman walked over to Lionel and helped him up. “Once again, I’m so sorry for that,” she apologized. “Maynard’s…very distrustful of no hooves.”

“I can see that,” Lionel remarked. He stared at her for a moment, then said, “But you didn’t answer my question: _ who are you_?”

“Let’s get out of here, then I’ll tell you,” said the woman. 

With that, she began to lead them back to the beach, with the Leeds devil known as Maynard following right behind them.

* * *

Lionel traced his hand over the broken nameplate on the trunk of clothing, with only half of a name on it. “Ade… is that your name?” 

She looked up at him. “I think so,” she replied, unsure. It had to be her name or at least part of it, though she wondered what the rest of her name was.

"So you don't remember anything?" he asked her as they stood up. "Your family, where you're from ― can you recall any of that?"

She looked at him. "Cat told me that I came from the sea a long time ago," she answered.

"Or maybe a shipwreck," he murmured, trying to convince himself of something. 

"I don't know," Ade said, unconvinced. "I don't remember. I've tried to, but I can't." She then realized how many problems it was causing her, more now than it had before. She didn't even know what her full name was, only the first half.

Lionel's face scrunched in confusion, recalling something she had said a few minutes ago. "Who is Cat?"

Adelina smiled and turned around to the jungle. "Puedes salir ahora. Es seguro. No morderán."

One by one, the remaining animal friends came out, both worried.

"Cat is the black feline," Ade pointed out her friends. "Paca is the parakeet, and I'm sure you've already met my pinie Ooh-Whoo, Maynard."

Susan gasped. "Oh my gosh! A black cat, the Leeds devil and a parakeet, Lionel!" 

The feline jumped onto Maynard's back as he came walking over, with Paca tagging along behind them. The Leeds devil looked at the prince, wariness in his gaze.

"You saved us, Ade," Lionel said suddenly, eyes on the woman. "So please, let us save _you_. Come back to my kingdom."

Save her? Ade was taken back by this. How could this no-hoof save her? She was perfectly fine. She didn't need saving. She had her friends and everything she could ever want and need on the island, yet at the same time, she wanted to know more about her origins and where she had come from. "I..." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Maynard come up behind her. "I still don't know your name."

"Oh, how silly of us!" Susan said, feeling a little embarrassed. He gestured to his friend. "This is Lionel. He's a prince of the Frost kingdom in England." He bowed while Lionel rolled his eyes.

Paca perked up. "Did he say prince? _Kingdom? _Perhaps we're related." She showed off her wings and feathers. 

From Lionel's perspective, the bird's gushing sounded like non-stop squawking. 

"Okay, okay, Paca," Ade said, interrupting the parakeet. "We get it. El es un principe, eres una princesa."

Lionel was so surprised by this woman. She was so extraordinarily wonderful in every way possible. "You really understand her?"

She turned to him, confused. How could he not understand what Paca was saying? It was pretty clear to her. "Yes, don't you?" 

Lionel wondered just how could this human woman understand these animals. It seemed almost impossible, and yet... "No, all I hear is loud squawking." 

Paca turned her head, offended. "I don't sound anything like that!"

"Now, Paca, don't get upset," Ade tried to cheer the bird up.

Susan seemed excited by this. “How amazing! She really talks to animals!”

“This is Susan, my best friend and royal companion,” Lionel introduced the sasquatch. “I found him in a forest within the Pacific Northwest.”

“I have so much to ask you,” said the sasquatch to the woman.

Lionel took a step closer to Ade. “Ade, come with us,” he offered softly. “Come with _ me _, back to my kingdom.” This offer startled the island woman and her animal friends. “To civilization.”

At that moment she would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. Just the way he looked at her, so genuinely kind… it sent eager chills down her spine.

“Civilization?” she asked. It sounded so nice on her tongue, yet so foreign. What was this civilization?

“What lies beyond the horizon,” he answered. “A world of people like you and me.” He grabbed her hand. 

Ade didn’t know what to do. She had always wondered what was beyond the horizon, and this civilization he described… it could be a world with her birth family in it. She would have said yes immediately, had she not seen Maynard out of the corner of her eye shake his head, mouthing a _ no _with concern in his eyes. 

Knowing she should think about it some more, she smiled at him and said, “I’ll think about it. Tomorrow, you shall have my answer.” 

Lionel was relieved to know that she was considering coming with him. “Of course,” he replied. “We can wait. Right, Susan?” Susan nodded in agreement. “We had better get back to the ship now.” He gave Ade a smile and kissed her hand. “Until we see each other again tomorrow, my dear.”

With that, he turned and started walking back to the ship, followed by his hairy friend. Ade felt her cheeks warm up as she watched him leave. Once the two were out of ear shot, Maynard said firmly, _ “You not leaving with no-hooves.” _

“Tú no eres mi jefe,” Ade shot back, her eyes narrowed. “It’s my decision if I want to leave or not, not yours.” 

_ “You saying you _ want _ to go with no-hooves?” _

Cat stared at Ade intently. The woman bit her lip. If only they understood how she felt. She had been wondering about her birth family for sixteen years and here Lionel was, offering her a chance to possibly find them. How could she tell them, though? How could she say this without making them feel like she didn't see them as family too?

"Maybe, maybe not," she said, confused now. With that, she headed to the mountain. When she got there, she sat down and pondered. Why did things have to become so complicated?


	5. the choice - "i need to know"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this within two hours because I wanted to write Liolina fluff to this song. I hope I did a good job portraying the ship in this AU, and I hope y'all enjoy.

From the mountain, Ade could see the large ship Lionel and Susan had come in from thanks to a few lights that had been turned on. That was what would take them back to civilization, if she chose to go. If she chose to stay, then she would have to watch as it left over the horizon, possibly never to be seen again along with the prince and his hairy friend. She was mulling over Lionel’s offer. She had never once set foot off the island since she came there, never met anyone who looked like her either. Maybe leaving was what she needed to find her birth family…

Maynard approached her from behind. _ “You _ really _ thinking of leaving?” _

Ade didn’t know how to respond. Her Ooh-Whoo really wasn’t going to let it go. The issue was that her answer was one that would crush him, so she remained silent. However, he seemed to realize what this silence meant.

As she turned to look at him, he cried out, _ “You can’t mean it, Ade!” _

There was fear in the pinie’s eyes, which made the woman feel bad but truth be told, she didn’t care what anyone said at that moment. She needed to go, she just had to. If she refused, then when would she ever get an opportunity like this again? 

“I think it’s a great idea if we go,” Paca countered as she flew over, landing on a stone nearby next to Cat. Of course, the parakeet would jump at any opportunity that involved royalty, even if it involved a prince who insulted her. “Not only will we be travelling high class style with my fellow royal, but think of the kingdom that could lie ahead!”

_ “You be quiet!” _ Maynard growled at the parakeet. _ “You know nothing!” _

Cat looked at Ade with worry in his eyes. Ade sighed at the sight of all three of her friends. _ Maybe I shouldn’t go. I should just stay, _she thought. If she left, they would be hurt, but if she stayed, she would hurt Lionel.

Realizing this thought, she felt appalled by herself. She had only known him for a day, yet she worried about hurting him as much as she worried about hurting her friends — no, _ family. _ They were not only friends, but her family too. 

Unless she chose to go to civilization and she somehow managed to find her family there, which would lead to her hurting her island family. A part of her wondered why they couldn’t be happy and support her, but then she realized it was because they were afraid of _ losing _ her. 

“Ade?” Cat asked, snapping her out of her turmoiled thought bubble. He was worried for the girl. It must have brought on so much pressure for her.

For a moment, Ade looked at her family in sadness. She couldn’t handle holding in these feelings anymore. She had to let it all out.

She looked behind her, at the horizon beyond.

_ Where is the land I come from? _

_ Who lives where I was born? _

_ Why do my memories start with a storm? _

_ What if I have a family somewhere beyond the sea? _

_ Could there be someone there missing me? _

She needed to find them, her biological family. She didn’t care who it was — her birth mother, birth father, siblings if she had any, grandparents; she needed to know if there was at least _ one _person who missed her, who was wondering where she was and if she was alright. She loved her Ooh-Whoo, Paca and Cat, she truly did, but she also had this lingering thought of the people who brought her into the world and if they even cared. 

_ Tell me _

_ Why I’m not sleeping and my heart is leaping _

_ Inside me _

_ Could this be one of those times when your feelings decide? _

Ade thought of all the questions she had sung, knowing her decision. Cat, Paca and Maynard knew too, with the pinie looking a little upset. 

The look on her Ooh-Whoo’s face stayed in the woman’s mind as she went to sleep that night.

* * *

When morning arrived, Lionel came back to the island by himself. “Susan was busy with some things, so I have decided to come by myself,” he said. Then, he directly asked Ade, “Have you made your decision yet?”

Ade nodded. “My friends and I shall come with you to civilization.”

He smiled. “Perfect.”

As she and her family boarded the ship, the woman felt a new chapter in her life begin. She was already amazed by how big the boat was and how it could float. It was all so intriguing and she found herself absorbed within everything.

As she looked back at the island, she saw how small it grew as more distance was put between it and the ship. Her friends all tensed, Maynard looking the most worried out of them all. 

She turned away and looked at Lionel, who had his foot put up on deck as he was looking through his telescope. 

_ Why does he look through circles? _

_ Why does he hide his feet? _

_ Why do I feel so shy when we meet? _

Ade turned away, feeling herself blush. He was so handsome, so full of life… she shook her head and quickly walked to a giant pole with a platform, taking her mind off the weird feelings inside her as she studied it.

_ Is this the tree he sleeps in? _

_ What can he see from there? _

She looked out at the sea, seeing the dolphins splashing about. 

_ Could there be new horizons to share? _

She began walking out to the deck, amazed and curious by all these sights. 

_ All these questions keep turning, _

_ And churning and burning _

_ Inside me _

She stopped right as she was only a few feet away from where Lionel stood, still looking out through his telescope. She felt something strange inside her, standing by him. Could this be what birds in the spring felt for their mates? These fluttering butterflies in her stomach, these sparks inside… she had heard of it once, when Paca gave her a little talk one time when she was sixteen. Love, the bird had called the feeling, something felt between two people who cared for each other a lot. 

Ade felt this connection with Lionel, one she hadn’t felt with anyone else. They only knew each other for a short while, yet they had immediately gotten along just fine. He understood her want to see the world and offered it to her, offered to take her with him even though he was a prince and she was just an ordinary girl. He made her feel… special.

More special than ever.

_ What are these feelings I feel when he's here by my side? _

She climbed up the mast, holding onto it as she leaned forward and gazed at the horizon. 

_ I need to know these answers _

_ I need to find my way _

_ Seize my tomorrow, _

_ Learn my yesterday _

She walked out on the figurehead, feeling the sea breeze blow by. She felt so free, so alive… she was so glad she chose to go, because now she was finally seizing her destiny, taking control of it like she should have done years ago.

_ I need to take these chances, _

_ Let all my feelings show _

_ Can’t tell what’s waiting, _

_ Still, I need to go _

_ I need to know… _

* * *

A couple of nights had gone by since Ade and her friends came to the ship, and it had now been about a week since Lionel discovered the island. Since then, his world had turned upside down, all thanks to the island girl.

It was midnight. He was staring at Ade, watching as she swung down to her friends from a rope on the mast. She was such a strange woman, so different from the stuck up noble girls back in his kingdom. She was adventurous, full of spirit and vibrance. She stood up to crocodiles to save his life, and so he owed it to her to take her to civilization and help her find her kin, along with the answers to all the questions she had.

Lionel didn't know why, but Ade made him feel so strange. She made him feel light as a feather, made his heart race faster than the horses in the stables, made him feel so happy, ready to burst with joy like a firecracker during a celebration. He couldn't get enough of her.

_Isn't she just amazing?_

_Daring and bold and sure_

_Different from girls that I've met before_

He watched from the steering wheel as she stood on the edge of the ship, her arms spread out as the wind blew past her. She seemed so happy, so peaceful...

By his side was Susan, who was watching his friend. The prince turned to the sasquatch and asked frantically, "Susan, do you think she might like me? How do I look tonight?"

"Hey, hey, no need to panic," Susan tried calming him down. "You look fine, and I'm sure she likes you. Why else would she agree to come along?"

"I just want everything to be right," sighed Lionel.

The ship captain, a man dressed in red with a brown beard, came up and took the ship's steering wheel. "Sorry to interrupted, your majesty, but I must return to my station."

Lionel didn't respond. Instead, he walked down the stairs to the deck where Ade was looking out at the sea along with her friends. 

_All these questions keep turning_

_And churning and burning_

_Inside me_

He knew what he felt for Ade. It was love. He had fallen in love with her, the beautiful courageous woman who'd lived on an island for many years and spoke with islands and had the Jersey Devil as a father, whose side she was currently petting in reassurance.

_What are these feelings I feel when she's here by my side?_

"Ade?"

The woman turned, startled to see the prince. "Oh, Lionel! What is it?" 

"I was wondering if you would like to stargaze with me?" he asked her. "O-only if you wish to, of course."

She gave him the warmest smile ever and her next four words made his heart pound with joy: "I would love to."

_I need to know these answers,_

_I need to find my way_

Ade and Lionel climbed up to the top of their respective ropes, looking at each other, then at the stars. In that moment, both realized how deep their feelings for each other went, accepting that this was true love, that they had both found the one.

_Seize my tomorrow,_

_Learn my yesterday_

The next couple of days passed when finally, one morning, they arrived at their destination.

"At last, we've reached the Frost kingdom!" Lionel exclaimed happily. "Civilization, Ade!" 

Ade eagerly ran out onto the deck just as dolphins were swimming by the ship. She waved out to them as they left, then looked out to what lay ahead of her as the sun rose. 

_I need to take these chances,_

_Let all my feelings show_

_Can't tell what's waiting,_

_Still I need to go..._

Ade smiled at her friends, then looked out at the kingdom ahead while Lionel watched her from afar with a huge smile.

_I need to know._

* * *

Ade studied the place as best as she could, although the boat was still coming to port. There were big, majestic buildings everywhere and all kinds of houses. "It's so big," she said in awe. "So beautiful..." She spotted something, a little building with some no-hooves standing outside of it and talking. She nudged Maynard. "Look, Ooh-Whoo, a no-hoof home!"

Maynard's ears rose in surprise at the city before them. He looked at the home his filly pointed out and murmured, _"It look quaint." _On the inside, though, he was a little impressed.

A little.

"Quaint? It's _massive_!" she exclaimed. She looked over to Lionel who was coming up by her side. "Do you live in one of those nests?"

"Hmm? Me?"

"Yes, you. Do you live in one of those little nests?" she asked him.

"No, no, my home is rather more grand and vast," he replied. 

"Really?"

"Yes, _really_."

"Where is it, then?"

He winked at her. "You'll see soon..."

"Soon?" she asked, tilting her head.

"_Soon_."

"This is so exciting!" Ade squealed. "Though why is your ship bigger than the others in the port?"

"Because it's a royal ship," Lionel answered her question. "Usually, I have a bigger escort but I refused to bring them. I wanted it to be a bit simple."

"Ahh, I see," she murmured. 

Maynard huffed and frowned. The prince and his filly seemed to be getting close, a little too close for his liking. Not to mention, the no-hoof kingdom was so different than what he was used to. _"No tree, no waterfall, no beach..."_

"We must adapt, Ooh-Whoo," Ade tried to lighten him up.

_"Only if we no stay long."_

Ade couldn't find a way to respond to that. Who knew how long it would be until she found her birth family? Hell, _if_ she even found them... 

This was going to be an interesting yet rocky experience, that was certain.


	6. civilization

Ade was gathered with Maynard, Cat and Paca, the latter two of which sat atop the pinie’s head. “Isn’t it _muy hermosa_, everyone?” the woman asked her animal family. “Such a gorgeous kingdom.”

A blue butterfly flew through the air. It saw the boat and flew towards it to get a better look up close, only to crash right into the sail. It let out a light shriek and fell to the ground, right in front of Ade.

Seeing the quick blue flash in front of her, Ade looked down and saw the little blue butterfly on the ground. She gasped and bent down, picking up the insect that fluttered into her hand. “¿Estás bien?” she asked, giving it a sympathetic look. She couldn’t let her fly away, not when she was hurt.

The butterfly looked at the woman. “Good as new,” she said. The human woman smiled. “Thank you, miss!”

Ade nodded and said, “De nada.” She held her hands out, allowing the butterfly to fly off to who knew where. 

As people gathered into the port, Paca began chirping with excitement. “Can you believe your eyes?” she asked Ade.

The woman looked at all of the civilians ahead. Although they were no-hooves, they all looked so familiar. “Everyone’s like me,” she confirmed, feeling like she was at home in a way.

Maynard looked at the civilians, feeling a sense of bitterness. _ “But no one like me,” _ he grumbled. _ “Let’s go home, Ade.” _

She looked at him and heard the desperation in his voice, saw the despair in his eyes. She almost gave into this, almost said _ si _until she remembered that there was someone out there, someone who missed her and she couldn’t just leave without knowing the answer to her biggest question yet.

“Without exploring?” she asked. Seeing the look on his face, the shame that read _ you’re right _let her know she hit the right spot. “That doesn’t sound like you, Ooh-Whoo.”

Maynard frowned and looked down. He _ did _ like exploring. It was one of his favorite things to do with his filly… he just didn’t want to lose her to the no-hoof society, especially not the prince.

Lionel walked up to Ade, tapping her on the shoulder. “So what do you think? Do you like it?”

She turned to him and smiled, then looked at the land filled with no-hooves. “Es muy… diferente.”

Most of the officials from the kingdom came gathering around at the port, uttering and cheering “our future ruler has returned!” and bowing along with all the other excited subjects. Seeing all the people bowing and cheering, Paca thought they were all bowing to her. “Ooh, Ade, _mira_!” the bird chirped excitedly. “I have an entourage!”

“Huh?” Ade looked and saw all the people bowing. “Oh!”

Lionel sighed upon seeing each official, knowing it was back to the daily prince life of having them grovel and their saccharine praises, starting with them bowing as they uttered, “Your majesty!”

Paca meanwhile enjoyed basking in the officials all bowing, thinking ‘your majesty’ referred to her. “Yes, hola, my fellow subjects!” she tweeted happily. “It is I, your Princesa Paca Viviana Mendoza the fourth!” 

Lionel let out a louder sigh as he saw one of the royal messengers, a short and chubby man with a brown suit and cap, with an awaiting carriage. The plank of the ship was lowered onto the boardwalk, allowing everyone to get off board. “There is Mr. Lemuel Lint…”

“Who is he?” Ade asked, having noticed how down Lionel already seemed to be.

“The royal messenger,” replied Lionel, in a voice that already sounded exhausted. Still, he managed to keep a smile on his face as he went over to the messenger, knowing his trip had been a successful one. 

_ “Fat ass,” _Maynard laughed upon seeing Lint.

Paca got even more excited. “Ooh, a carriage with horses! For _ me_!”

“Greetings, your highness,” said the royal messenger as the prince came towards him. “I presume your trip went well?” 

“Oh very well, indeed, Mr. Lint!” Lionel replied with a happy, confident smile. “Not only have I found the Leeds devil, but also a fair maiden too.”

“Oh really?” asked Mr. Lint, looking behind him to see if it was true that he had brought the fabled beast with him. “You found the supposed Jersey Devil- OH MY GOD!” He almost fell back and fainted upon seeing the beast standing there, right behind the prince with a bird perched on its head and a cat casually standing on its back while a young woman had a hand on its side. 

The horses snorted and threw their heads back. The carriage driver gasped and got down to tend to them while many others at the docks gasped as well, with one screaming at the commotion. 

“Steady, chaps, steady!” the prince yelled, raising his hands and trying to calm the horses down. He winced as they kept panicking. “Oh, fiddlesticks…”

Maynard shot each human a glance, making some drop whatever they were carrying while several guards nearby began raising their weapons.

Seeing the guards raising their weapons, Ade quickly got in front of her Ooh-Whoo. “Nonono, don’t be frightened! I know he seems big, ferocious and threatening, but he’s good!”

One guard noticed that the prince was close to the Jersey Devil and the woman, close enough to the point where the beast could attack him. “Your highness, stay back,” he tried to warn him.

“No, Ade is right!” Lionel went over to stand by her, in order to help her resolve the conflict. He knew that since he was the prince, the guards would listen to him and wouldn’t try to so much as touch the pinie. If they did, then Ade would not only be hurt seeing her adoptive father being hurt, but the prince would be so furious seeing the woman he loved upset. “You will put your spears down at _ once! _ I command it!”

Each of the guards glanced at each other before obliging, putting their spears down. 

Lionel huffed and nodded. “Good…” He turned to Ade, holding a hand out to her. “Now, my lady...would you like to ride in the carriage with me?” As if on cue, Lint quickly opened the door to the carriage while the carriage driver scurried back onto his seat. 

Ade looked at him, then at his hand and thought about it. She wanted to run to him, to take his hand and never leave his side but there was also the thought that lingered in her mind: “What about Maynard?”

“The Jersey Devil can fly, can’t he?”

“Yes, true…”

While the humans were talking, Paca went into the carriage immediately. “Ah, finally, a ride fit for a princesa!”

“Ooh-Whoo, do you want to fly behind us?” Ade asked her adoptive father.

_ “NO!” _ Maynard quickly grabbed her hand, pulled it back and looked at her with worried eyes. He couldn’t let her ride with the no-hoof prince. He couldn’t. _ “Ride on shoulders.” _

“But Ooh-Whoo, I’ve never ridden in one before,” she tried to protest. It might have sounded selfish, but it was true. She had never ridden in a carriage before and she wanted to experience what it was like, see the whole kingdom from it while sitting next to Lionel. 

_ “Paca can ride it for you, plus chubby red no-hoof would only sit on you,” _Maynard argued. 

“Susan wouldn’t sit on me!” Ade argued back.

_ “You see no-hoof habitat better from air,” _Maynard reasoned. 

She stopped and thought about it again. What was she thinking? Family came first. “Supongo que sí…” She looked back at Lionel. “I’ll keep him company,” she told him, trying to mask her disappointment. “Will we ride in one later?” 

In Lionel’s blue eyes, there was some disappointment in not getting to ride with her. However, he remained positive and said, “Of course, how's tonight sound? I can tour you around the city. It’s particularly beautiful around that time.”

“Sounds wonderful to me,” she answered. 

He turned and got in the carriage. A part of her wanted to take it back, but she knew family came first. She couldn’t refuse her Ooh-Whoo.

Family. 

Her stomach churned. She was finally there, so she could start looking for her family soon after. That wasn’t what she meant with ‘family first’, though — she meant Maynard, Cat and Paca. She couldn’t let anything get in the way of their family.

Her Ooh-Whoo kneeled to allow her to get on his shoulders. Ade climbed onto his shoulders, but not before one more glance at Lionel. Both smiled at each other as one of the horses stomped and tried to throw her head back upon seeing Maynard rush forward, forcing his wings to grow larger. 

“See you, Lionel,” whispered the young woman as the pinie began to fly off, a newfound hope in her at all the possibilities. Maybe she could find a way to have both her biological and adoptive family and maybe even Lionel too, if she was lucky enough.

* * *

Lionel sighed once more, knowing he had to listen to Lint go off as the carriage set off for the castle while Susan scooched to the side and tried to ignore the yelling by looking out the window. Paca was sitting down, resting softly, oblivious to the conversation happening.

“I can’t take any more of this running off on the court and duties nonsense you’ve been pulling, and neither can the court itself, your brother nor your mother!” ranted Lemuel. “We _ won’t _ take any more of it!”

“I was searching for and found a legendary monster that originated in New Jersey,” Lionel defended himself. “How many princes can not only claim but do that?”

“None,” answered Lemuel, looking at him like he was a maniac. “Because they’re all responsible unlike _ you!_ What is wrong with you? You have duties to attend to, you have the court and your family and yet you run off chasing down these beasts!”

Lionel frowned and rolled his eyes. “And what exactly has been going on at court that is so important?”

“Oh you know, planning of the crown’s ascension,” Lemuel explained. “The discussion and plans of the kingdom’s future and its alliances with other lands, like the kingdoms far away. We’ve also got to plan many dinners and what you plan on wearing to events… and I believe we can add a cage to that list now?”

“No, no cage,” Lionel said firmly, shaking his head. “Maynard will kill me, and Ade would be cross. He will sleep in a guest room near hers.”

“So a collar then?”

“Perhaps that will do, yes. Now, is there any more ‘issues’ I have to worry about?” the prince asked mockingly.

“Yes, shaping up so you can be a proper king,” snapped the royal messenger.

“Mmm…” 

“Your majesty, you know your mother will not be queen for much longer.”

“I know...but—”

“But _ what_?!”

The prince looked away. “I don’t want to think about it…”

“Well, you’ll have to,” Lemuel said bluntly. “Because soon your father’s crown will be passed down to you, and there will be many potential bachelorettes coming from across the land to see you at your planned ball next month. Princesses, young duchesses — every type of noble bachelorette will be there to pick and choose from to be your future queen, and one of them will be very lucky.”

“But what if I already found a girl?” Lionel asked, his mind immediately on Ade. She was the only one he wanted to be his future queen, his precious love. Only issue was that she wasn’t a princess.

“Well, you’ll have to take it to your mother’s attention,” replied Lemuel, once again blunt.

“I suppose so… but what if I told you she isn’t royalty?” asked Lionel, trying to see if it was possible for him to be with a girl of common heritage.

Lemuel’s eyes narrowed. “Then that is forbidden. You may as well focus on the other ladies.”

“But…but I love this girl, you see—” Lionel tried to explain, but was cut off.

“Take it up with the queen, your highness.”

The prince sighed and leaned back against his seat. Susan saw how upset his friend was and tried to cheer him up by saying, “Hey, look up at the sky outside!”

Lionel obliged and peeked his head out of the carriage window, looking up and seeing Ade flying on Maynard’s back not far behind them. He smiled softly at this. She was so precious.

He loved this woman, way too much.

Meanwhile, many civilians looked up at the sky, pointing out Maynard in shock and horror while some screamed in fear, all while Ade looked at the pretty sights. 

“I’ve never seen so many no-hooves before!”

_ “Neither have I,” _murmured Maynard. At least, not in a long time, he hadn’t.

“It’s so beautiful!” Ade gushed. “It’s like a dream come true! They’re dressed so beautifully and the houses are so big!”

_ “Look there,” _ said her adoptive father, pointing out a large castle ahead. _ “That house big.” _

“Ay dios mio, it’s so beautiful and massive!” the woman gasped with joy and awe. “I think we’re going there! I can’t believe Lionel lives there… I can’t wait to go in.”

_ “Me neither,” _the pinie lied.

Soon, the carriages halted on the side and Susan squeezed out through the door. “_Wooh_, we’re here! Do you think your mother and brother missed us, Lionel?” the sasquatch asked.

“My mother? Yes. My brother? No,” replied the prince as he stepped out of the carriage. He turned to the royal messenger as he got out too. “Lint, what has my _ ever perfect _ brother done in my absence?”

“Found a noble lady: Lady Elizabeth Akers,” Lint replied. 

“Oh...good for him,” the crown prince said slowly. He never had a close relationship with his younger — adopted, when he was a wee two year-old — brother Robert, not since he turned nine and decided he was better than him and their father for being more ‘practical.’ It didn’t help that after their father died, he was designated for the throne while Robert was stuck as a prince, as his elder brother’s children would take the throne after his reign would end. Suffice to say, only their mother was keeping the ties between them, so the crown prince didn’t know how to feel about his brother’s upcoming marriage. “When is the wedding?”

“Around sometime in late spring. Preparations have already begun.”

“That’s nice.”

“I cannot wait until you too have a wedding to plan, sire.”

“The thing is… I’d have to have Mother’s approval first, then propose to the bride.”

Paca woke up and chirped, flying out of the car and landing her feet onto the ground. She looked around and waited for a few minutes until the rest of her friends arrived.

Maynard landed at last, causing one horse to whinny and the pens of the fox hunting dogs to begin barking. Ade hopped off the pinie’s back, petting his neck fur gently. 

Lionel smiled and rushed over to her. “Ade! I can’t believe you flew so well on him.”

“Heh,” she giggled, blushing slightly. “Well, I did it a lot before since I was twelve…”

Maynard glanced at the barking dogs, glaring. _ “Shut up.” _They whimpered and immediately quieted.

“I still can’t believe he can grow and shrink his wings so smoothly,” Lionel marveled, stunned by the pinie’s abilities. 

“I know, Ooh-Whoo’s very unique,” Ade said proudly. “And it wouldn’t be practical to have such big wings in a small space even when they’re folded.”

“You make such a brilliant point, my dear,” the prince complimented. “May I touch his feathers while they aren’t bunched up?”

“Sí. Ooh-Whoo, déjalo hacerlo.”

Maynard rolled his eyes as Cat pressed his paws along his maned back, while unfolding his long wing. Lionel slowly reached out to touch his feathers. "_Incredible._ His wings are a wonder of biology!"

Maynard huffed.

"Although his smell is...to put it simply: rancid."

Maynard’s eyes shot wide with rage. _ “EXCUSE YOU?!” _

Several guards draw their weapons upon seeing him bark and his mane flare up in rage, causing Cat to dig his claws in for support. 

“Nono, don’t raise your weapons!” Lionel yelled, stopping the guards. “He’s merely not used to the new place. He will be adjusted before long.” He turned back to Ade and asked her, “But Ade, would you and your friends like to freshen up before your introduction?”

“Yes please,” she said with an eager nod. 

“Well good. I’m certain the maids will gladly teach you proper dress—”

“Proper dress?” Ade asked, tilting her head in confusion. She had never heard of proper dress before.

“Proper attire so you don’t go about looking like a beggar on the streets,” Lionel answered, like it was common knowledge. “You know, underclothes, corsetry and a dress, of course.”

“Oh… sounds nice,” said Ade, though she still didn’t quite know what a corset was. She had an idea of underclothes and knew what a dress was from the clothes in the chest she had come to the island with, but a corset was something she hadn’t heard of until now. She didn’t know if she wanted to be alone while being taught proper dress though, since she had gotten used to Lionel’s company now. He was the one who was guiding her through civilization, so it was only logical he accompanied her, right? It was normal to want him by her side, yes? “Will you come with me?”

His face almost flushed red at her question. The fact she wanted him to come with her and see her dress… it sent a weird, tingling sensation through him. “Well,” he cleared his throat. “It’s seen as improper to watch a lady dress, but the maids will assist you while I will wait outside.”

“Alright.” She blinked, then stood on the tip of her toes and kissed his cheek suddenly. She had been meaning to thank him for all that he had done for her, and what better way than this?

Maynard gasped, his ears shooting up in surprise. Did his filly really just  _ kiss _ the no-hoof’s cheek?

“Gracias,” she thanked the prince, quietly. “Por llevarme a la civilización.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, blushing. “I’m glad you are all here.” He looked to the royal messenger. “Lint, would you mind escorting Ade and her friends while Susan and I take Maynard—”

“I dunno, sire,” Lint said, unsure. “This Maynard seems rather pissed.” He gestured to the pinie, who was gritting his teeth and growling lowly.

Lionel saw this, then said, “Well, he can go with Ade instead, then. I shall study him there.”

Ade smiled at him. “Sounds like a plan.”

Little did they all know that today was the day that not everything would go according to plan.


	7. meet their majesties (and the court)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a while to finish but it's finally here. Enjoy what will be one of the longest chapters I've written in an AU fic.

In one of the many dressing rooms inside the castle, Ade found herself standing in front of a mirror with a light beige underdress on, while twigs were roughly brushed and combed out of her hair. The rose she usually wore in her hair was now on the table of the mirror, next to other utensils. "Ouch!" she hissed as one of the maids did her best to comb out all the knots and twigs. 

"Can you please stay still, miss?" the maid asked her. "It'll be a lot easier to comb your hair if you do."

"Lo siento," she apologized. "But it hurts a lot!"

"Well then this will hurt even more—" one of them tightened her corset.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Ade screamed, pain shooting throughout her body as she felt her organs being squeezed, her insides burning. "IT BURNS!"

The lacing maid tied the corset's dark blue strings into a bow. "See? It's not that bad."

"How...do you..._live _in..._this_?" asked the young woman, nearly out of breath.

"It's not that bad once you grow used to it," the maid tried to ease her. "And look, you have such a pretty form now."

Ade looked at herself in the mirror. The corset _did _bring her curves out a little. "I suppose you're right."

The main maid began to go through a closet nearby. "Now, let's choose something to dress you in."

"I like purple, red and green," Ade said, wanting to be dressed in her favorite colors. "Any of those would do." The maid brought out a simple white gown with a big red bow whose ribbons fell on the front of the dress. The young woman's face lit up. "Ooh, it's beautiful!"

"Well I'm glad you like it," said the maid. "Be sure to get comfortable in it."

"I will!" said Ade happily.

* * *

After having her hair pinned up into a nice bun — save for a few loose curly strands that went down both sides of her face — and shoes chosen, which she was having trouble walking in due to the fact that they were heels, she walked out, trying to catch a breath in the corset and hoped that her friends would like it. "H-hola!"

"Oh my!" Paca gasped. 

"¿A ustedes les gusta?" 

_ “You… pretty. Very pretty,” _Maynard said slowly, seeing how beautiful his daughter was, even in no-hoof clothing.

“Gracias!” Ade beamed at her adoptive father. She turned to Lionel. “What about you, Lionel? What do you think? Can I meet your court?”

“Yes, you may meet the court,” Lionel breathed, taking in her beauty. “And might I say you look ravishing?” He took her hand and kissed it. Cat swapped at the red ribbon strap while the prince started gushing, “I cannot wait to show them my newest discovery! Not only that but my newest, dearest friend too!”

“Can we meet now?” Ade asked him, twiddling her fingers. “I want to see your mother and maybe the brother you mentioned…”

“Of course,” he replied.

They headed to the throne room. During their walk there, she fumbled after him occasionally, almost falling on Susan and Maynard due to her heels. Eventually, Lionel had to steady Ade.

“I think I have this now,” she said, blushing a little as she felt his hands on her arms.

“Good, steady,” he whispered, before letting her go, not noticing the side glare Maynard gave him.

They went further and further down the hallway, until they finally came close to the main room. Each could hear the buzz of conversation as they neared the set of doors, each voice inside ready to congratulate Lionel’s brother for finding a future wife, to celebrate his engagement.

“It sounds fun in there.”

“Oh trust me, you’ll see…” He stepped close to the door, about to open it but not before turning to Ade. “Susan and I will go in first and when I say it is time, you and Maynard can come out. I will introduce you both.”

“Okay.”

Lionel took a deep, confident breath before pushing open the doors and going in. Ade turned to Susan while scratching Maynard’s chin. “Is he always like this?”

“Who? Lionel?” the sasquatch asked, puzzled by what she meant.

“Yes, is he always so extravagant?” she asked the bigfoot.

_“More like he show off,” _Maynard grumbled.

“Oh yeah, he always was big and extravagant,” Susan answered. “And now he’s really excited to show everyone the Jersey Devil.”

~

"How delightful! Prince Robert has found himself a bride!"

"Such thrilling news."

"About time one of the queen's sons settled down, if you ask me."

"It'll be a momentous occasion, no doubt."

"A noble one at that, much like the last hunting trip."

"Oh yes, such a noble hunt that was, m'lord."

"The younger prince has snatched up a girl, just as I've snatched up pelts of creatures many times!"

"Indeed... surely the wedding will be the talk of the century!"

Queen Moira watched as all the lords were buzzing about her younger son Robert's engagement, while her future daughter-in-law was swarmed with congratulatory praise from some of the lords' spouses. At first, she smiled at this, glad that one of her sons found a woman he loved enough and that they were happy together...yet soon frowned as she looked out the window, where she saw her elder son's empty carriage at.

"Should have waited," she sighed.

"What's that, mother?" asked Robert as he stepped up behind his mother.

The middle-aged queen turned to the young prince. "We should have waited," she repeated.

Robert snorted. "Don't be ridiculous, mother. What could anyone have done? He was somewhere on the seas once again." There was a hint of disgust in his tone. His brother was so ridiculous, chasing after these so-called myths. So he had been right about bigfoot, yes, but that didn't mean he had to go off looking for these things all the time instead of actually being practical and doing his duty as the soon to be king. It was humiliating for him.

"I once knew someone else who loved adventure as a boy, up until his thirty-second year of life," said Moira, thinking of her husband, the late King Anthony. He, too, loved cryptids and often searched for them, bringing back little pieces of evidence which were eventually passed down to Lionel. Her husband and elder son bonded over that, and it was no surprise to her that Lionel took after his father a lot unlike his younger brother.

Unfortunately, Anthony had died in a tragic accident at sea, which took a toll on Lionel. A part of her felt like one of the reasons her son went looking for cryptids aside from the fact that he just loved them in general was because he wanted to continue his father's legacy that had shaped him in a way...which made it all the more difficult for when the time would come for _him_ to take the throne, and he would have to give up these adventures for settling down and doing his kingly duty. 

"Yes, well that someone isn't here anymore," Robert huffed. "It's time he grows up and starts taking his responsibilities seriously. He's twenty-five for heaven's sake."

"Oh, Robert..." 

Suddenly, the doors to the room swung open. "Gentlemen, Mother, Robert, I come back with thrilling news!" Lionel exclaimed, announcing his presence and leaving the whole room silenced as they all turned to him. 

Several of the lords prepared their laugh while his brother looked at their mother for help. "Oh look, it's the monster hunter," sneered a tall, brutish looking lord; Piggot-Dunceby. His hair was long and white with thick facial hair, his suit a traditional black, a musket tucked at his thigh, and overall an fat old snobbish-looking man.

Lionel frowned a bit before going on, "Yes, well anyway...remember when I said I would bring back proof of the Leeds devil?"

"Oh joy," Robert said dryly. "Another undiscovered beast to waste your time on."

From her side, Elizabeth's borzoi dog, Sasha, began growling and pointing his nose in the door's direction.

"Well, I am pleased to say that I have found the beast itself!" Lionel proclaimed excitedly. "Not only that, but also a woman who can talk with animals too!"

Nearly everyone in the room burst into laughter, especially Lord Piggot-Dunceby and his lackeys. Moira simply sighed. 

"It's true, I tell you!" Lionel insisted, trying not to let their laughter get to him, humiliate him as it had almost done in the past. He couldn't, not when he had made the greatest discovery this time. "Her name is Ade, and she has lived with the Leeds devil away on an island for sixteen years!"

"It seems our prince has gone a bit mad from being on the ocean for so long," Dunceby laughed, jabbing his manservant, Mr. Collick.

Lionel glared at the lord. "I have _not _gone mad! I have proof, _living proof_!" He turned to the door. "Ade!"

Elizabeth held onto her dog's leash as he began barking furiously.

"Ade, Maynard, please come in!"

Sasha barked louder and soon everyone gasped, some holding their spouses. The doors opened and Ade and Maynard walked in, with the other animals trailing behind with Susan going off to Lionel's side, getting a cup of tea along the way. Ade held onto Maynard's side as everyone stared and some guards grabbed the ends of their weapons, just in case. "Ummm...hola. Yo soy Ade. I come from the South Seas."

Maynard noticed the borzoi barking while his owner struggled to hold onto his leash, and he let loose a snarl.

"Maynard, no, don't snarl!" Ade tried to stop him. "We're guests here."

Sasha stopped barking and whimpered, tucking his tail in.

_"These puppies growl at me..." _Maynard scoffed. _"I no scared of them."_

"Behold!" exclaimed Lionel, gesturing his hand at the pinie. "The Jersey Devil in all his glory."

Everyone began whispering many things, some staring at Ade and Maynard. Noticing this, the woman pulled the pinie's head down via his horns and whispered into his ear, "What are they saying?"

_"I no know what they saying,"_ replied the pinie. _"Only they seem surprised. Some no like smell, I guess."_

Some lords stared and began gossiping about the island girl. Paca perched on one of Maynard's curved horns and triumphantly displayed herself, showing off her wings. 

"See gentlemen? Proof," Lionel boasted proudly. He glanced at his brother. "And Robert, I congratulate you on your engagement."

"Th-thank you, brother," stuttered Robert, shocked and amazed by what the elder prince brought in. 

"Where is she from?" Susan chimed in, curious. "England?"

"Wales..."

"Oh sorry, is this whale—" 

Lionel quickly shushed the sasquatch up, then smirked smugly at the lords. "Anyway, you were saying, gentlemen?"

Many of them eyed Maynard, only to receive a look of six more eyes right back. Dunceby, however, did have something to say. He stepped forward with narrowed eyes and asked, "This girl you bring here...can she _really _speak with beasts?"

"S-sí, sir," stammered Ade, suddenly feeling easy as the lord came forward. There was something about the old man that left her unsettled, like there was a dark aura to him. His menacing demeanor didn't help either. "In fact, these animals you call beasts...they are mi familia. This is Cat." She pointed to the black furred feline. "That's Paca." She pointed to the parakeet. "And this is my Ooh-Whoo, Maynard." Lastly, she rested her hand on the pinie's head.

"Ooh-Whoo?" Dunceby repeated the word, like the girl had spoken gibberish. It sounded so absurd. "What in the devil does that mean?"

Maynard snorted, nearly throwing Paca off. "Well," Ade said slowly, "it means papá in Leeds."

"Papa?!" Dunceby cried in outrage. It was too good to be true, like a mockery of men. "You call that _thing _your _papa_?!"

_"Stupid no-hoof," _Maynard growled, gathering saliva in his mouth.

Dunceby looked at all the other lords and cried, "The girl calls the beast her _father!_ Gentlemen, can you believe it? We have the savage beast _and_ his silly little feral daughter!" He and the other lords began cackling.

Ade looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed. Lionel saw this and quickly stepped in to defend her. There was no way he was going to let that arrogant fool humiliate the woman he loved. "She trusts him, m'lord, and it isn't every day that you see such a talented young lady and her...papa," he spoke in the woman's defense. 

"Talented?! That girl has been far away from civilization to the point where she speaks that thing's dialect!" Dunceby bellowed.

"Yes, and I would prefer if you would admire them rather than mock them," said Lionel with narrowed eyes.

"Admire my foot! They are a mockery of men!"

Maynard attempted to spit at Dunceby, only for it to hit Mr. Collick in the forehead instead.

"MONSTER!"

Maynard rolled his eyes, glancing away and noticing the fluffy white ape sitting next to the queen. _"Ade, look, little hairy no hoof."_

"Oh! Hello there!"

The macaque simply licked her paw, while Dunceby went off on a rant. 

_"I hungry, you think they let me eat it?" _

"I believe she's the queen's pet," Cat spoke up. "So no, I don't think they will." 

_"I still hungry," _whispered Maynard.

The macaque rolled her eyes, only to glance as Cat tried to approach her. "Where are you from?" the feline asked the primate.

"Quite far, actually," she replied, her voice rather firm and mature. "Mountains high up in Japan."

"Japan? That sounds so far away," Ade remarked, entering the conversation.

The macaque's eyes widened. No one ever really understood what she was saying before. Perhaps she should have expected it from seeing the woman speak with the other animals, but...she still found herself surprised.

"—FURTHERMORE, THEY BRING GREAT SHAME UPON SOCIETY!" Dunceby finished his rant, his face red as lava.

Maynard blew his tongue at the lord.

Finally, the queen spoke up, "Enough!"

Everyone, even Maynard, turned to look.

"Ade," started Moira. "You said you come from the South Seas, correct?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," the island girl stammered. 

"How on earth did you end up there?" asked the queen.

"I floated here on a chest," answered Ade. 

"Oh what a horrible ordeal!" the queen sympathized. "Shipwrecked!"

"All I remember is a storm," she recalled. "And waking up to see Cat and Paca. Then one day, Ooh-Whoo arrived, escaping a ship captor...and he came to us, which I'm glad he did. I had someone to look after me."

“Forgive me if this sounds rude but why on earth would such a… _ creature _protect you?” asked Moira, confused by how the girl could see the beast as a protector. “Weren’t you scared?”

“At first when I saw him, I was a little frightened,” Ade admitted. “But then I learned more about him and realized he was only lonely.” She patted her adoptive father’s neck. “Despite what things may seem, he’s very friendly, I assure you all!”

“Well… animals _ can _be such a comfort,” Moira accepted. She turned to her pet macaque. “I don’t know what I’d do without my Sari!”

The monkey sitting beside her bit into a tangerine, which had been given to her by a maid. 

Lionel watched as his mother spoke with Ade and once their conversation was over, he went over to his mother and cleared his throat. “Mother… may I ask something?”

The queen turned to her eldest son. “Whatever is it?”

“So I know that my turn to inherit the throne is coming eventually—”

“Oh yes,” the queen interrupted, cheerfully. “It will be such an eventful day~”

“And… I need a queen to rule beside me,” the prince continued. 

“Oh, well I’ve arranged a ball for you to meet young ladies from all across the land,” the queen told her son. “Soon, you’ll be in the same boat as your brother.”

“What if I told you I already found a lady?” Lionel asked his mother. 

“Really? Is it Lady Abbot or Beatrice Harper?” she asked. 

“No, _ better _,” he replied confidently. “She may not be noble but she is smart, courageous, and full of such charm and wit…” He lowered his voice into a whisper, “And she’s in this room with us right now!” 

Every young lady within hearing range, mostly nobles, gasped and looked around. 

“Her name starts with an A and ends with an E,” Lionel hinted.

“Is it Adelaide Wright?!”

“No!” exclaimed Lionel, refuting the suggestion. “_ Ade _!”

The whole room erupted with gasps. Maynard’s jaw dropped. Moira’s hand flew to her chest. Susan even spat out a cup of tea he had gotten from a servant. Ade turned, shocked but silent. Was it possible that Lionel also harbored the same type of feelings she felt towards him? Could it be possible for them to be together?

“I know this may be a huge shock to you all, but listen to me—” Lionel tried to explain, but was interrupted by his brother.

Robert scoffed. “You can’t even pick a proper girl.”

Lionel glared at him. “You say that as if she isn’t the most radiant woman standing among us.”

Moira pinched the bridge of her nose. “Lionel…why?” she asked her eldest son.

“When I first came to that island, I stumbled and found myself surrounded by crocodiles… and Ade came swooping in, saving my life,” he explained, voice filled with fondness for the island girl. “She showed me so many things, taught me a new perspective. She’s so daring, bold and sure — she’s different from all the other women. She’s the one that makes me feel so _ alive. _She makes me feel a way I have never felt before until now. I love her, Mother.”

Maynard felt as though he was going to burst from the way Lionel spoke of his filly, who remained silent as a ghost.

“Lionel, son, I should have expected this,” Moira started, sighing. “The law specifically states that you, a prince, must marry a girl of a high social standing.”

“But mother, I love _ Ade_,” he protested. “I will not marry anyone else but _ her_!”

“I’m sorry, but you must find a young lady like your brother has found,” said Moira firmly. “And you hardly know her—”

“I knew her for three weeks and during those three weeks, I felt a connection to her that I’ve never felt with anyone else,” Lionel said stubbornly. “She understands me better than any pompous rich girl ever could.” He looked his mother in the eyes and pleaded, “Please mother, I know she’s the one. Just let me marry her, _ please._”

His mother looked around for a moment before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but it is tradition to marry a noblewoman,” she said finally. “However, they may each stay as long as they wish.”

Lionel’s arms fell to his side and he looked utterly dismayed. Ade felt her skin heat up in embarrassment and sorrow. How could she have fooled herself into believing she and Lionel could ever be together? How naive she was. Tears pricked her eyes, almost threatening to spill over as Lionel turned to face her with an apologetic look.

“I…I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I should… go.” Before her tears could spill, she ran out of the room as fast as she could.

Maynard watched as his filly ran out, then looked back at the royal no-hooves and loudly barked in anger. _ “LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!” _ he roared angrily. _ “YOU MAKE HER SAD!” _

Each one sat startled and waited to be attacked, while Maynard had spears pointed at him by the guards. He then turned and ran after Ade, nearly stepping on Cat’s tail as the feline ran after her too. 

* * *

Ade ran through the halls, wiping away her tears frustratedly. As she ran, she found herself getting lost within the unfamiliar hallways… and upon this realization, she sat down defeatedly, tugging at her corset. “What was I thinking? How could I possibly be with him?”

_ “Hooooo!” _Maynard called from down the hall as he slipped and slid on the polished floor, leaving dirt behind. 

Ade turned and saw her Ooh-Whoo, forcing a smile through her tears. “Maynard…”

He stopped sliding, sitting next to her and opening his arms expectantly. She hugged him and immediately started sobbing. Cat curled up next to her while Paca flew over, landing down next to them. 

“How could I have been so stupid?” she sobbed to her adoptive father. 

_ “You not stupid,” _he replied gently.

“Yes I am!” she cried. “He belongs here, I don’t. He’s a prince, and I’m some chica from an island. How could I have ever hoped we could be together?” The whole situation was as easy as pie, yet it hurt her so. She originally came from civilization, yet she couldn’t feel at home here.

_ “They stupid no-hooves,” _Maynard grunted. 

“I love him so much, it hurts,” Ade despaired. She tried to think of the island, going back to the place she had known for sixteen years, but she longed for Lionel still. She couldn’t have both, but she knew she would only be happy if she had both. It was too complicated, and she hadn’t even started looking for her human family yet either. She was so conflicted. “Ooh-Whoo, what should I do?” 

_ “I no know. Maybe eating help?” _Maynard suggested. Food was always good. It always cheered up everyone.

“Okay,” Ade sniffled. 

The Leeds devil sniffed the air, smelling the same monkey from before. _ “We eat little no-hoof—” _

“No! The queen will hate us...especially me.” Ade looked at the macaque. “We might as well introduce ourselves. Hola, I’m Ade. This is Maynard,” she pointed out each of her friends, “this is Cat, and this is Paca. Nice to meet you, um…”

“...Sari,” the monkey finished.

“That’s a pretty name.”

“Thank you… tell me, why did you run off so fast?” asked Sari.

“It’s silly, really…”

“Well I live around silly people, so feel free to tell me.” Sari gave Maynard a pointed look, narrowing her eyes. “And don’t think about eating me.”

“Well, you see, I love Lionel,” Ade began explaining. “But we can never be together. He’s a prince and I’m just a sad little island girl… how could we ever be married?”

The macaque thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps, my mistress would be interested in… changing the law?”

“She suggested he marry a noble girl… I doubt it,” said Ade skeptically.

_“What you mean hairy no-hoof?” _Maynard asked the monkey.

“The law can be changed,” she stated. “However, it will be…difficult, as that law has been in place for many years.”

“You mean that there’s a slim chance that Lionel and I can be together?” asked Ade, filled with hope.

“Yes,” Sari confirmed.

“_Really_?!”

“It will be hard but as queen, she has the power to change the law,” Sari informed. “And I should know, she takes me nearly _ everywhere_.” 

“Thank you! Muchas gracias!” The woman hugged the monkey, much to her dismay. When she pulled away, she asked, “What do I do to make this work?”

“Well for one, Maynard and your friends will have clean themselves up,” Sari started. “He left dirt all through the halls, and you will have to prove that you too can be noble without noble blood.”

“We can clean this up and ourselves up too,” Ade replied, confidently. Her confidence began wavering, though, from the second part. “As for proving I am noble without noble blood… how?” 

“You have to have manners and a groomed appearance,” the monkey clarified. “As well as leaving a big impression on those around you.”

Ade breathed in. She could do this. She could prove herself. She _ would _prove herself. “Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Now you.” Sari turned to Maynard. “You need to prove that you are friendly or Lord Piggot-Dunceby will have you sold off or his bounty hunter will have you on his wall.”

_ “WHAT?! BUT HE AND OTHER DUMB HUMAN NOBLES MISTREAT MY FILLY!” _ Maynard protested, outraged at the thought of having to be friendly to no-hooves. 

“Yes, but he can say you are dangerous after you growl at him,” Sari pointed out. “And he is free to kill you, and the queen will gladly have you out.”

_ “Damn it!” _Maynard cursed.

“So you will have to be tidied up,” Sari went on. “And Ade will have to ‘train’ you.” 

_ “Fine,” _ Maynard relented. He would be nice for Ade’s sake and her sake only. _ “But old lord better not hurt my filly or else…” _ His stomach then growled. Oh right, he was hungry. _ “You have any meat?” _

“Yes, we have some stored in the kitchens,” answered the macaque.

_ “Good, I starving.” _

“Follow me,” said Sari, starting to lead the way to the kitchen. “And try not to leave any dirt. Lint likes to nag.”

Maynard snickered at the mention of Lint. _ “Fat ass Lint… he so fat, I kick him!” _

“No, you will not.”

_ “Why not?!” _

Sari slapped Maynard upside the head.

_ “OW!” _the pinie hissed in pain.

“For one, you need to learn to take that in strides and not hiss at me like that,” the macaque lectured him. “That will get you put in a cage.”

_ “Fine,” _ the pinie begrudgingly agreed to the conditions. _ “You have horse meat?” _

“No, but we have deer meat.”

_ “Chicken?” _

“Yes, lots of chicken.”

_ “Hog?” _

“Yes, hog too.”

_ “Ooohh.” _He trotted ahead of the group.

"Is he always like that?" Sari asked the others.

"Yes, he's always shoved past us and hissed like that," Paca replied, being very honest as she spoke.

"Shush, Paca," Ade hushed the bird. "It's part of his nature to hiss."

"Well, he doesn't have to be like _that _though," Paca argued.

"Well, it's a new place and he's not one for strangers," Ade argued back.

"But it's so big and grand, and he'll get cared for!" Paca countered. "Plus, we live amongst royalty now besides myself!"

"Well... he's always been like that," Ade spoke defensively of her Ooh-Whoo. A question then popped into her mind. She quickly turned to Sari and asked, "Won't they be mad if they figure out we were in the kitchen, though?"

"_If _they figure out," Sari answered.

"If?"

"They won't," said the monkey as they arrived in the kitchen. "We have a whole stockpile that's so huge that they aren't going to mind if they lose a few carrions."

"Ohh, _smart_."

Sari went in and threw a carrion out.

_ “FOOD!” _Maynard leaned down and pinned it with his forearms before digging in. 

Ade rolled her eyes at how messily her adoptive father ate, yet smiled. It reminded her of how lunch and dinner was back at the island.

_ “Eat, Ade,” _Maynard encouraged his filly, sliding a piece over to her.

“Okay, Ooh-Whoo.” She picked up the piece of meat and slowly took a bite of it, avoiding making some splatters, carefully making sure not to be messy. She pulled at her corset. It felt so tight. “Sari, must I always have a corset?”

“In public, yes,” answered the macaque. “My mistress wears one.”

“But it hurts,” the woman complained. 

“Well…” the monkey sighed. “You can get away with not wearing one so long as the maids don’t dress you.”

“Good!”

“But I’d recommend wearing one on certain occasions,” the monkey went on.

“Like…the ball?” 

“And lunches, and if you have tea with anyone.”

“Oh…tea?” Ade tilted her head. She hadn’t heard of this tea thing before. 

“It’s like a drink,” Sari clarified.

“Ohhhhh…”

“And maybe a fox hunt.”

“A fox hunt?!” Ade cried. She couldn’t believe her ears. How could anyone make a sport out of hunting?

“Yes, that’s what the dogs out front are for,” said Sari.

“But that’s cruel!” Ade protested.

“I know,” Sari agreed, though keeping a neutral tone. “But it’s a pastime many like to partake in.”

“Still, do I have to go to one?” Ade asked, dreading the thought of watching hunters and their dogs chasing down and killing a fox.

“No, not unless you’re invited to a fox hunt,” Sari told her.

Ade shuddered. “Who normally goes on such…things?”

“The lords.” Sari seemed disgusted as those words left her mouth. “Some of them have fox pelts.” 

Ade’s nose scrunched up in disgust. She looked over to her Ooh-Whoo, who was making a bit of a mess. “Maynard, be careful, you’re getting meat everywhere.”

_ “Sorry, I just hungry,” _ the pinie apologized, trying to wipe his muzzle clean. _ “Sari no let me eat her instead.” _

“Because you cannot eat the queen’s pet!” Ade exclaimed. “You already spat at Dunceby’s servant, we don’t need you getting us sent to the dungeon.”

_ “I no mean to hit twig man,” _ Maynard tried to defend himself. Honestly, it was _ one _ mishap. Why was everyone trying to make a big deal out of that?

“Well, you did! It echoed and it hit the shorter man!” 

_ “What? It funny.” _

“_Suuuree._”

_ “Face thing fell off.” _

“Glasses. His glasses.”

_ “They fell, it funny.” _

“What will we do with you?” Ade sighed and shook her head.

_ “What?” _ asked Maynard, not understanding what was wrong.

“You’re trouble sometimes,” she remarked.

_ “You trouble too,” _ he argued. _ “Fall from trees.” _

She scoffed. “At least I don’t spit.”

_ “Spit help with no-hooves.” _

“Even if it means putting me in bad light in front of my love’s mother and brother?”

_ “Maybe?” _

“I can’t believe you.”

Maynard chuckled while Ade glared. He saw the glare and said, _ “What? I just having fun!” _

“Right…” the woman sighed. Then, she thought of something. What if the nobles tried to encourage her to get with someone else since she and Lionel couldn’t be together? “Do you think they’ll encourage me to marry someone else?”

_ “I doubt it,” _Maynard said quickly. He didn’t want to think about his filly with any no-hoof, ever.

“Are you sure?”

_ “Yes. If they try, I kill them,” _ he said darkly. _ “And eat them.” _

“No, Ooh-Whoo,” Ade objected.

_ “Why not?” _

“If you kill someone, they’ll never let me marry Lionel… and what’s marry anyway?” Ade asked, suddenly wondering what the word meant. It obviously meant something along the lines of two lovers staying together forever, but…it sounded so foreign. She couldn’t quite grasp it yet. Maybe it was like mates? At least, it sounded like mates to her.

_ “Marry mean mating…when you love someone and want to be with them forever until death,” _Maynard explained, feeling shivers down his spine as imagery came into his head. His little filly mating with the no-hoof prince… it made him repulsed.

“Oh what usually happens when no-hooves marry?” Ade continued to press on, innocent. 

_ “They...kiss a lot...you know, touch mouths? And then they...mate…” _

“Ewwww,” Ade retched. The idea of mating sounded gross. “Do no-hooves here do that, Sari?”

"Yes, but it's more than just kissing and mating,” Sari spoke. “At a wedding, the groom and bride say their vows and profess their love before they say 'I do.' Then, they go on a honeymoon...where they then mate and weeks later, either find out one is pregnant with babies or not. And they're not no-hooves, they're humans. Why do you call them no-hooves?”

"Because that's what Ooh-Whoo calls humans."

_ “They have no hooves.” _ Internally, he was wincing at the thought of a wedding.

"And you're a no hoof too, you know?" Ade pointed out as if it were a fact. “Only smaller.”

“No...I'm a macaque, a _monkey,_” Sari corrected. “If anyone here is a no hoof, it's _you!_ _You're_ the human here!”

“What? No, I have a deformity,” Ade spoke defensively. “I have little hooves!” She wasn’t a human. How could she be one? Yes, she looked similar to one but… well, some reptiles looked like fish so she supposed she was just an animal who looked like a no-hoof.

"No, those are feet! _ Human feet!_" The macaque frustratedly grabbed a portrait from nearby of a woman in a light dress with no shoes. "Look, same as these!"

“No! Tell her I’m a pinie!” Ade cried to her adoptive father. 

Maynard bit his tongue, looking down. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell her, but he couldn’t lie to her either. _ “Should I tell her?” _he asked Cat. The feline was always the wisest of them all. He would know what to do.

“Yes,” the black cat replied. “It is time.”

Maynard looked back at Ade. _ “Ade…she right.” _

Ade couldn’t believe her ears. “_ What? _ No, she isn’t—” 

_ “Yes...you a no-hoof.” _

“_No!_” she cried. It couldn’t be! How was she a no-hoof? Was her whole life on the island a lie? “No, I’m _ not_!”

_ “I sorry, but you no-hoof,” _Maynard said, saddened to say the truth. He didn’t want her to know, but she had to.

Ade let it all sink in for a moment, remaining silent until she felt rage built up. All this time, she was a no-hoof. She was _ human. _ They lied to her. Her Ooh-Whoo _ lied _to her. All of a sudden, her rage let loose: “¿POR QUÉ NO ME DIJISTE ANTES? ¡ME MENTISTE!”

The pinie’s ears lowered. _ “I no want to hurt you,” _he said softly.

“All this time, I was a part of the species you hate,” she realized.

_ “I no hate them.” _

"YOU ATTACKED LIONEL, YOU TRY ATTACKING GUARDS! YOU SPIT AT THAT SHORT MAN!"

_ “I just annoyed with no-hooves...you good no-hoof.” _

“I can’t believe it. All this time…”

He opened his arms for a hug. The woman looked at him, teary-eyed. _ “I sorry.” _

“I… I need to go,” she said, voice wavering.

_ “Ade—” _

She ran out.

Maynard turned back to the others. _ “See? I say saying she no-hoof no go good!” _

“She needs time,” said Cat calmly.

_ “No time with Lionel, he no-” _

"Stop talking trash about him!" Paca yelled.

_ “Why? He try to steal her-” _Maynard tried to argue, but was interrupted.

“She’s the only human she’s known in god knows how long!” Paca exclaimed. “And he wants to dedicate himself to her—”

_ “ICK!” _Maynard retched.

“What?!”

_ “He barely know her!” _

“So? I can tell right away they will work,” the parakeet said confidently.

_ “How?!” _ Maynard was flabbergasted. What would ever make her think _ that? _

“Look at the way they behave around each other,” said Paca with a warm look on her face. “He treats her so well. I even saw them sleeping in that bed in the cabin of the ship—”

_ “THAT MEAN NOTHING!” _the pinie shouted in denial.

“YES IT DOES!” the parakeet squawked back. “They love each other! And if you can’t accept that then, well…” she paused. “You’ll be driving a wedge between you and Ade.”

Maynard was about to argue back, but found that his rebuttal slipped off his tongue the moment he opened his maw. The parakeet had a point — Ade’s love for the prince was driving a wedge between their bond. _ If I no do something, then she leave me, _he realized.

He had to stop this. He needed to apologize to her, and then he needed to make sure she got out of this mateless.

He wouldn't forgive himself if she got hurt.

* * *

Ade had found herself running until she was in the front garden, alone. All in one day, her dreams seemed to be shattered. Lionel was a prince, she was an island girl, so they could never be together unless she got the queen to change the law by some miracle. She wasn’t a pinie with a deformity, but a human. She had been lied to for her entire childhood up until now in adulthood. Everything around her seemed to be crumbling and it seemed like nothing was steady, nothing was sacred. It was all too much.

She should have never left.

_ I didn’t even get to look for mi familia, _she thought bitterly. Things had changed, though. Too many things.

She began to walk away, trying to find some way to get back to the island. Paca, Cat and Maynard were good trackers. They would find her. In some ways, she felt regret but then thought of Lionel with another woman, and that was enough to get her to walk even faster. She had to keep going until—

“Ade!” 

Her insides churned. If one thing could stop her, it would be his voice. She wanted to cry tears of joy, tears of sorrow, but it didn’t matter what he said. It didn’t matter how it made her feel. She had to leave.

“_Ade_!” the voice cried again, desperate.

She took a deep breath and turned around, seeing that it was indeed him.

Lionel.


	8. new friends and adjusting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the 4 month wait but yay its finally here!!  
pls dont be mad ok

Their eyes met, and Ade immediately felt her body sweating all over. Lionel averted his gaze, as did she. Now that he stopped her, he needed to find the right words to say. He was just as uncomfortable as she was in this case scenario. 

“Ade, I…” He looked up, and their eyes met with wary looks. “I didn’t know this would happen.” 

Tears stung her eyes at the confirmation of a fact she already knew. She tried to tell herself how it didn’t make much of a difference anyhow as it was so obvious, but for some reason, it made a lot of difference to her. 

He cared enough about her to make it clear he wasn’t trying to lead her on, making her think he cared for her the way she cared for him only to break her heart. Did this mean he really, truly felt the same way?

She shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind. She didn’t understand Lionel, or frankly any no-hoof. She hardly even understood herself.

“Gracias por mostrarme la civilización,” Ade managed to get out. It was hard trying to hide the emotions, the hurt, in her voice. “But I want to go back to the island.” It was easy to lie, to let it roll off her tongue as if she meant it. It was easy to pretend that she wanted to leave the Frost kingdom, leave him for the island, because she should have wanted to go to the place she lived for sixteen years. It was easy to pretend she didn’t want to stay in such a strange place with a culture she couldn’t fathom, but at the same time, the pit of her stomach churned because it knew it was just that, just her pretending.

It was just a lie. 

“When can the next ship take me home?” despair entered her voice this time, she noticed. She couldn’t face Lionel anymore without her heart aching, so she turned and began to walk away from him, hoping he would both let her go yet also stop her.

When did this happen? When did her feelings - her cloud of moral and judgement - become so clouded? When and why did everything become so complicated?

Lionel frowned deeply, his heart aching too. He quickly ran behind her. He couldn’t let her leave, not now! Not when he was so close… his mother might not have approved, but he didn’t care what his mother said or what his brother or the lords or anyone else said either. He wanted Ade, he wanted her so much and he wasn’t going to lose her because of some silly law. He was going to make her his bride, his princess, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him. 

“Please stay,” he pleaded as he pursued her. “Pick any room in the castle, and Maynard and your animal friends will be comfortable in our royal stable.” 

She slowly turned around. How could she let him have such control over her? She was so set on leaving for the island, but now was ready to stay for _ him. _Was love always so…complicated? 

“Ooh! ¡Me gusto el sonido de eso!” Ade heard a familiar voice chirp.

Behind him, she looked and saw Maynard, Paca and Cat coming over, concerned looks on both the feline and pinie’s faces, especially Maynard’s. The pinie’s expression was a mixture of concern and upset as his eyes focused on her yet when they darted to Lionel, there was a level of distrust. Paca’s expression seemed to brighten though, especially at the thought of staying in a royal stable.

Ade warily looked at her Ooh-Whoo and friend who had their eyes set on her, intently so. Maynard’s eyes were pleading for forgiveness for his lie, pleading to leave for the island, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t leave _ yet. _It felt like she would be giving everything up too soon. Cat’s look seemed like he wasn’t completely thrilled with staying a while longer, but knew she was set on staying so he wouldn’t press any further. He kept observant and watchful instead.

The woman knew that if she was going to stay, there would have to be a compromise. “Gracias, but I will stay with my family.” 

Lionel’s face brightened up a bit, warm feelings washing over the both of them. He was so glad to hear that she was staying, and Ade felt so happy to know he wanted her to stay.

She looked over his shoulder at her three animal companions who all looked at her with gratefulness. The warm feeling within her grew more seeing this. Yes, this could work out just perfectly. Maynard was the only one who seemed a bit dejected but even then, he was thrilled Ade was staying with them.

A grin broke out across Lionel’s face. “Of course, you may go wherever you wish to go,” he said, joy evident in his tone. He was so relieved, so thrilled to have her stay. Hopefully, he would find a way to make his mother see that they should be wed, and that Ade was the one. “All I ask of you is to please stay.” 

A small smile made its way across Ade’s face as the prince grabbed her hand, ready to lead her to where she and her family would be staying. However, right at that very moment did they hear someone from behind them cry out, “Your highness!”

They turned and saw Lint running towards them, the messenger out of breath. “Your highness, the queen requests that you be present.” 

“Tell Mother I will be there once I’m done showing Ade the stables,” Lionel replied simply, looking at the woman and smiling at her.

Lint shook his head. “It is an immediate order, your highness.”

Lionel sighed, giving Ade an apologetic smile. “I am sorry, but it appears that I must leave you to go to the stables yourself. Mother is usually patient, but when it is an immediate order, well…”

She gave a fake smile, waving it off. “Está bien. You have your royal business to attend to.” He quickly flinched, and she immediately regretted her wording.

“Right,” he said slowly. 

“Your highness!” Lint seemed very impatient. Ade now understood why Maynard had called him a nag, even if his nagging probably stemmed from fear of any lashing out from the queen. 

“Will you hold on for just a second, Mr. Lint?” Lionel asked, rolling his eyes. Swiftly, he turned her to face west of the grounds. She shuddered, feeling the sensation of his hand resting on her back, especially the lower area right above her torso. She tried to focus and concentrate on his words. “Walk along this side of the garden, and you shall find a pathway just a little way down.” He gave her an expectant look and she nodded her head. She felt like she was high above the clouds with his hand still on her lower back. “Follow that trail and you will get to the second building that is the stable.”

Ade smiled gratefully at him. She tried not to shudder when he removed his hand. She could have sworn there was some hesitation there.

Lint was annoyed by the time Lionel came over to him. He practically pulled his arm and yanked him away, dragging him from the grounds. The prince turned and winked at the island girl, whose heart fluttered and she waved as they left.

She turned back to her family who seemed calm, at least most of them did. Maynard still seemed quite concerned.

_ “Ade,” _ the pinie began, a bit of sadness in his tone. _ “I sorry for what happen back there in kitchen.” _

Ade looked at her Ooh-Whoo, remaining silent. The truth that had been revealed of her true origins as a human still stung, and yet… it also made sense now. Her hands were similar to Lionel’s, except a bit more smaller and much darker. They almost had a similar body figure and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that there were no other creatures she resembled than humans. She couldn’t believe it took this long for her to realize she was one of them. Perhaps, it was doubt. Perhaps, it was fear her Ooh-Whoo would hate her.

Whatever it was, she knew now that the truth would’ve had to come out sooner or later. It was best that it happened now, she realized, for if she had been told earlier when she was younger then… well, she would have been more heartbroken, that was certain. It was hard to cope with the fact she had been human all along yet didn't fit in with other humans, but...she had to know at some point. 

_ “I no want to tell you, but I no know what else to do,” _ Maynard went on, feeling guilty. _ “Cat said it time, but I no want to hurt you but I did and—” _

“I understand why you told me,” Ade interrupted him calmly. “And I understand why you all kept it a secret for so long.”

_ “You do?” _asked Maynard, surprised.

Ade nodded. “Yes, I do.” 

The pinie paused, then asked, _ “Then you forgive me?” _

Ade thought for a moment. She still felt a little worried that her Ooh-Whoo held some resentment toward her now, since she was human. “Yes, but… I need to know: do you resent me?”

The pinie was flabbergasted by her question. _ “What? No, I no resent you! You my filly! I could never… why you ask that?” _

“Because humans annoy you,” Ade answered, shrugging with a slight frown. “And I’m human, so…”

_“I would never… you my filly, Ade. I no hold any ill feeling toward you,” _the pinie said reassuringly.

“I was just worried…” she sniffled, trying to hold back tears. The thought of him despising her was too much to bear, even if it wasn’t true. It was still a lot to take in, a lot to accept.

The pinie held his hands out to her for a hug, though hesitant this time, and she quickly hugged him tightly. He gently patted her back with his wings. They lasted like that for a while in a silent hug, until they pulled away, both smiling. Then, the family of animals and their human daughter went down the path to the stables.

They were easily able to find their way to the stable Lionel had spoken of. Ade wasn’t sure what she had been expecting. From the way Lionel talked about it, it sounded like it was a mini island but instead, it was a building. She knew then that they would have to make arrangements for sleeping. Luckily, there were some animals that seemed to be friendly there. 

The group studied the animals as they came closer. There was one grey, human-like creature that also had features of a troll while wearing a box with a fish on it. Another was like the first troll, except shorter and its box had a shoe on it. The other animal they noticed was a sheep, who was playing around with a ball while its flock was watching, possibly as a demonstration.

The first grey boxtroll walked over to the fence and began to rub itself against it. It uttered something in what Ade guessed to be "can't get it" in Trollese, for his words sounded like grunting. The shorter boxtroll went over and tried to help, only to get knocked down as the other turned around. As she and her family came up to the fence, Ade giggled as she realized it was a case of an itch. Leaning down, she slipped her hand down his box and scratched the taller troll's back. "Better?"

"Ah," the troll sighed in relief, to which the woman smiled. "Much better." He shook his body off, now relaxed. He looked up at her and said, "Thank you!"

She smiled and nodded down at him. "Encantada de haber ayudado!"

He stopped, then ran away and asked shakily, "Did...did she just...answer me?" She felt her grin grow at this. For some reason, it made her feel happy seeing how animals reacted when they found out she could understand them.

"How did she do that?" the sheep asked, surprised.

"Best watch what you say, you two," said the shorter boxtroll. 

They all looked curiously at her. Ade giggled and introduced herself, "Hola! Me llamo Ade!" Inside, she was glad she hadn't gotten too flustered or shy when meeting strangers from this new kingdom. It was a relief to act normally.

The boxtroll’s startled expression gave away to a warm one. “I’m Fish, that’s Shoe,” he pointed out his friend. “I’m the main guy around here.” 

Shoe looked up with a smile. “Mostly.”

Fish stared at them, causing both Shoe and Ade to chuckle. 

“May we have a place to stay?” Cat asked. 

“Plenty of room for you right here!” Fish gestured around. 

Paca winced. “Couldn’t impose. Please show us a nice tree.”

“A tree?” Shoe asked, surprised. “Well, the main guy can take you to the greenhouse.”

Fish went around and opened the gates. “Right this way!” he said as he began leading the way. “The greenhouse is on the other side of the grounds, so we’ve got a long walk ahead of us.” 

Cat and Paca hopped off Maynard to allow Ade to ride him, which she found sweet. As they began heading off, they passed by a chicken coup where a hen was adjusting the bandana of a rooster, in which they heard the conversation.

“There you go.”

“Thanks, dollface.”

The hen rolled her eyes, still smiling. “Now come on, I’ll show you how to play cricket.”

Ade blinked and asked, “Are those two married?”

She was still grasping the concept of love. It was a new feeling for her. Back on the island, it was a rare novelty to find a mate. There would always be a few birds and their nests, the mammals and their mates and kids, but it was a rare sight. Here, though, it seemed so common.

She hadn’t thought she would ever find someone to love… until she met Lionel. Now, she knew it was love. The way butterflies would fly about in her stomach, the way her knees trembled, the way she felt so shy when their eyes met — she could only wonder if that was how her birth parents felt when they met.

“Ginger and Rocky? Yeah, they’ve mated,” interrupted Fish. “It’s fantastic. I remember the first time he tried asking her out on a date — he kept fumbling around with his words, until she grabbed him by the beak. You wanna know what she did next?” 

Ade began giggling. “What did she do?”

“She planted one right on him!”

Ade awwed while Cat purred and Paca laughed, and Maynard huffed. The pinie noticed how his filly had asked such a particular question, and how she was acting made him wonder if this was somehow tied to that no-hoof prince. 

“Eso es tan dulce,” Ade cooed. “El amor es hermosa.”

She sighed dreamily. Her Ooh-Whoo caught this and his senses were tingling, knowing she was thinking about Lionel. He felt a twinge of jealousy. He had to do something.

Something to make sure they would remain together.

At the castle on a balcony, Lionel was talking to his mother. Susan was nearby, wishing things were easier for his friend.

“I can’t marry a princess,” Lionel protested.

Moira was confused. Shouldn’t a noble man marry a noble woman? “Why can’t you? There’s many beautiful, talented girls out there from grand royal families—”

“Oh yes, I know very well there are many,” Lionel interrupted. “But there’s someone else.” 

“Lionel, you don’t mean _ her, _ do you?” 

The man’s blue eyes looked off the balcony. He could see Ade riding on Maynard’s back. Fish was saying something, and the woman was giggling and cooing. To him, she sounded like an angel.

“She’s different than anyone I’ve ever met before,” he spoke fondly.

“Clearly,” Moira mumbled, still conflicted on what to think about Ade. 

“She’s daring, curious, at home in the outdoors…”

“She also talks to animals. Lionel, my dear son, please be serious for once in your life,” Moira said sternly. “I have let you travel to your heart’s content, but the time has come for you to settle down. As the crown prince, it is your duty to marry a princess—”

“But if you would listen to me—” Lionel tried to speak up, but his mother interrupted him.

“—and _ only _a princess.”

Lionel’s eyes narrowed and he let out a frustrated groan, stomping off. Susan turned to Moira. “Can’t you see that he likes her?” he asked her.

“As the soon-to-be ruler, it is his duty to marry a princess,” she answered with a sigh. “The law says so.”

“Maybe the law is wrong then.” 

Susan walked away to find his friend, leaving the queen alone to think about what he said.

* * *

"Now this is more like it!"

Paca quickly went forward. “A place for a royal bird,” she continued. 

Ade rolled her eyes at this and grinned slightly. She stopped walking and took in her surroundings. The more she looked around, the happier she became, she came to realize. She felt a genuine smile form on her face. Many problems could come in the future, including her dilemma involving Lionel, but for now, she and her friends were all happy. That was all that really mattered.

Maynard broke away from his filly, walking in awe of the huge tree in front of them all. It was even bigger than the tree back at the island. Seeing her Ooh-Whoo in awe was all that Ade needed to know that this would be a new home for them. If Maynard didn’t pick it, then Paca would. Of course only the princesa would need the giant, gallant tree. The woman smirked to herself.

She looked to her right and saw some beautiful pink flowers blooming. She immediately recognized the type of flower - island roses. They bloomed all over the island, surrounding it in an even richer beauty than it already was, and they were her most favorite. Why else would she have worn one in her hair, after all? The greenhouse was already beginning to feel more and more like a home far from the island.

Upon further inspection, however, Ade noticed one of the flowers was withering. She frowned and took a step closer. She could see that the cause of the withering was dehydration. “Pobre flora…” 

She spent a lot of time with the roses on the island. They bloomed most beautifully around trees where the apes would climb. She tended to the flowers constantly to the point where the primates called her ‘Adrosa.’ It sounded like a doppleganger’s name, but she didn’t argue against it as a nickname was a nickname, after all.

Her heart burned and stung. The young woman came to realize she missed the silly little pet name, she missed hearing those primates yap on about whatever they could bring up at any second and most of all, she missed tending to the island roses and watching them bloom in the trees and bushes and near and far and all around the island itself. 

Snapping herself out of the mourning state, Ade realized she could still tend to the roses, albeit not in the wild. Focusing hard enough, she began estimating the damage done. The flower would need at least a cup’s amount of water, quickly. In her time of taking care of the roses, she learned how quickly the flower could take in water. 

Looking to her side, she saw a pond of water. There were no fish swimming in the pond, no underwater plants - it was merely just water, empty for some reason. She shook her head. _ What is human culture? _ she wondered. _ Will I ever understand these customs? _But it wasn’t something to complain about as it proved to be useful right now. 

She scooped up the amount of water needed and deposited it onto the flower. Immediately, it perked back up. She smiled, nodding approvingly. It was always satisfactory improving something she could actually control.

Then, the island girl let out a sigh of defeat. Flowers were easy. Just add water and everything was back to normal, quick as day. Life, however, wasn't easy.

"Ade?" 

She was startled by the sudden appearance of Cat. She feigned happiness, but the feline saw through it. She had no doubts he saw her sullen face earlier, too. _ Wonderful. _Now all she needed was for him to tell Maynard that she was unhappy and this idyllic moment would all tear at the seams and threads. But Cat wouldn’t do that to her, would he?

“You must give this whole thing some time and it will all work out,” he said, his voice filled with such sincerity, like he genuinely believed in what he was saying.

“How do you know?” she asked desperately, letting her walls down for just a moment.

He paused for a moment, then continued in a soft, promising tone, "We won't leave until your family is found." He offered a smile that was small, yes, but a smile nonetheless. "You deserve that much, after all of the emotional turmoil you've been through." He then turned and hopped away.

Startled, Ade followed the feline. She hadn’t told anyone, not outright, that she had come with Lionel to find her human family. She kept it to herself in fear that one of her friends would find out, specifically Maynard. She knew she would have to tell them sometime, but she had hoped she could have waited a while. So the question was: how did Cat know?

When she caught up to him, she stopped. The feline turned around and looked at the young woman expectantly. A quick glance around showed the woman that her Ooh-Whoo was on the other side of the greenhouse, talking about the giant tree with Paca.

Comforted by the knowledge they wouldn’t be overheard, Ade turned back to Cat and asked him in a low voice, “¿Como supiste? I never told anyone about that…”

Cat sighed. “The only reason you would keep us, your family of animal friends, by your side is to find your blood family...the humans who brought you into this world.”

Ade quickly looked down upon the stone floor, her face flushing. She wished she could disappear. She hadn’t thought of it that way.  _ ¿Cómo puedes hacerle esto a tus amigos? ¿A Maynard?  _ She felt tears build up in her eyes.

“Ade?” Cat spoke softly. “Ade, I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you of anything. I don’t think that what you’re doing is unreasonable or selfish. In fact, I support your decision and I am willing to extend a helping...paw...in any way I can.”

She breathed in, her throat quivering. “You don’t think I’m replacing you?” she asked him, her voice meek.

Cat was taken aback by the question. "Replace us? We found you, raised you, took care of you for sixteen years. In those sixteen years, I have gotten to know you considerably well, well enough to know your heart is true and pure and that you would never replace us. You simply want to know of those who share the same blood as you, the ones who haunt your dreams and whose voices race through your head at night. And you deserve to know, Ade. You might not get a chance like this again, so you must take this one. There will be trials, but it's worth taking."

Her eyes shone with tears as she gave him a wide smile. Then, she gave him the biggest hug she could manage. When she heard Maynard laugh from across the room though, she choked up again. To know that Cat, the serious yet warm hearted one, was on her side was wonderful and she was extremely grateful for that. But Maynard was an entirely different thing.

Seemingly understanding what her thoughts were, Cat said quietly, "You don't have to tell him yet, but you will have to eventually. For now though, I will keep this secret."

Ade smiled gratefully at the feline and watched him walk away towards the others. A bigger smile crept over her face seeing all three of them there, together and happy, just as they had been when they were back at the island. Slowly, she walked over to them.

“What do you think of this tree?” Maynard asked, chirpy. 

“Es maravilloso,” Ade responded with complete and utter sincerity. 

She was happy to see him so happy about something. Since they had gotten there, things had been rather depressing for the two.

For the rest of the night, they all talked and laughed. They all fully enjoyed themselves, and Ade was grateful for it. It took their minds off certain things and distracted them. Before they knew it, it had gotten dark.

Tired from a long day, they all went to their separate places on the tree and curled. Then, there was silence. 

Ade laid there wide awake for several minutes. It wasn't long before she heard Paca's snoring. Of course she'd be the first one asleep. She was perfectly at home in the greenhouse, more so than Ade felt. After a few more minutes, she heard the hushed breathing of Cat followed by his purrs. That left her and Maynard.

She knew the reason they both couldn't get to sleep. The sounds in this place were different. At the island, one could hear the night life. There was always the constant sound of water rushing. On the ship, there was the sound of the night shift and the water rushing around them. 

Here, there was nothing. It was completely quiet and it was making the both of them uncomfortable.

Ade forced her eyes shut and tried to make herself go to sleep. Slowly, she could feel herself drifting off. She tried to imagine the sounds, the way the gentle breeze would carry her through her dreams and eventually, she thought that she could really feel it. Then, she was gone.

She sat up quickly and choked back a sob. Her entire body was shaking, and she could feel the tears streaming down her face. She commanded herself to relax and take deep breaths.  _ It was only a dream, _ she reminded herself. Slowly, she managed to calm down. 

When she felt calm again, her body seemed completely wiped out from the emotional breakdown. Quietly, she looked around. It was still dark, so she paused for a minute. She could hear Paca’s snoring, Cat’s purrs and breathing, and… she sighed in relief. 

She wiped her face with her forearm and laid back down. Taking slow, deep breaths, she allowed herself to remember the nightmare.

It was like the one she had so many times. A voice singing that beautiful melody that has haunted her for her entire life. Except this time, it was different. She could see her, the lady who was singing. The lady's back was turned to me, her long ebony hair flowing free down her back. Ade begged her to turn around, but the young woman's efforts were fruitless. She couldn't hear her.

As the lady sang the song, she swayed back and forth. Ade tried to observe her surroundings, but they were faint. She could tell she was in a small wooden room, though. One much like what she stayed in on Lionel's ship as they had sailed to his kingdom.

When it came to the part in the song where it always faded away, Ade snapped her attention back to the lady. She was fading, along with the rest of the scene. Ade cried out in despair for her to stay, or at least to turn around.

Right as the scene completely disappeared, Ade heard the lady's voice speak to her in a soft whisper.

"You are everything to me and your papa, _querida_. We will always need you."

"And I will always need you." The response formed at the back of Ade's throat. She had told her that before, but when?

Thinking about it now, she had no doubts about who this woman was. The lady had to be her mother, which made her even more upset. Her words kept ringing in the young woman's head. How did she cope without her? Did she move on with her life? And if she did, does that mean her own hija wasn't everything to her?

And what triggered the new addition to the dream?

Was it the fact she was trying to find her family, or did it have to do with being in civilization? Whatever caused it to happen wasn't normal because she had been having this dream for ten years and nothing had ever changed until now.

Ade didn't want to go through the nightmare again as she suspected she might if she fell back asleep. The next time, she might not be so lucky to find everyone still asleep. Instead, she tried to keep her mind active to keep from slipping. She went over scenes of her reuniting with her family in her head. Every time she recreated the scene, she made it more dramatic and unrealistic. But she found she enjoyed them the most. She wondered how the actual reunion might be, if, of course, it ever happened.

Eventually, however, not even most enthusiastic pep talk could keep her from becoming drowsy. Right before she fell back to sleep, she saw the sun about to rise. She closed her eyes and thought  _ this is it, my new beginning. _

And then the blackness overcame her as she slipped off once more.


End file.
